BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Athletics has continued its standards for academic excellence, reaching its second highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in program history in the latest report released by the NCAA on Tuesday.
WKU posted an overall GSR of 86, second only to last year's mark of 87. In four of the last five GSR reports, WKU has achieved a mark of 85 or higher.
Six programs achieved perfect GSR scores of 100, while eight programs record a 90 or above.
Volleyball extended its streak of perfect GSR scores to 17 years and has posted a perfect score every year the program has been eligible to report. Women's tennis posted a perfect GSR score for the eighth straight season and for the 10th time in program history.
Women's soccer and women's basketball also posted perfect scores in five straight years, and it marked soccer's 11th perfect score since 2001. The 100 mark was women's basketball's seventh all-time perfect score.
Women's golf achieved a perfect score for the fourth straight year and has been perfect five times in program history. Men's golf posted a perfect score the second straight year.
The GSRs released Tuesday are based on the four freshmen classes in Division I entering from 2012 to 2015. The NCAA calculates the rates based upon the number of student-athletes who graduated within six years after initially enrolling, in addition to those who left an institution prior to graduating but would have been academically eligible to compete.
ABOUT THE NCAA GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE
The Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in 2002 in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students beyond what the federal graduation rate measures. The federal rate counts as an academic failure any student who leaves a school, no matter whether he or she enrolls at another school. Also, the federal rate does not recognize students who enter school as transfer students.
The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere. This calculation provides a more accurate appraisal of student-athlete success.
The rate also allows for a deeper understanding of graduation success in individual sports than the federal metric, which provides only broad groupings.
The federal graduation rate, however, remains the only measure to compare all NCAA student-athletes with the general student body at those same universities. Using this measure, student-athletes graduate at the same rate as the student body: 69%. Both student-athletes' federal graduation rate and the student body rate increased 1 percentage point from last year.
Western Kentucky University Athletics
- Champions Climb Here
- WKU Athletics
- Athletic Director
- Academic Services
- Annual Report
- Athletic Communications
- Athletic Hall of Fame
- Athletic Training
- Big Red
- CLIMB Program - NIL
- Compliance
- Facilities
- Financial Reports
- For Students
- Student Employment
- Forms/Requests
- Book Big Red
- Donation Requests
- Site Feedback
- For Fans
- Hilltopper Highlights
- Gameday Promotions
- Alumni Tailgates
- Big Red's Rascals
- Basketball Gameday
- Football Gameday
- Mobile Tickets
- Travel Center
- Tickets
- Give
