Michigan Nets School-Record Graduation Success Rate in NCAA Report
11/14/2018 1:00:00 PM | General, Academic Success Program
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan set a school record in one student-athlete graduation rate and matched its highest mark in another as the NCAA released Wednesday (Nov. 14) the 2018 Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) reports for all NCAA Division I institutions. Both Michigan scores were once again above the national averages.
Michigan raised its four-year average GSR to an all-time high of 93 percent, which is two percentage points higher than last year and 12 points higher since 2010. U-M's four-year rolling average FGR also stayed at an all-time high of 81 percent, matching the school's achievement from last year.
In addition, 11 of Michigan's 23 varsity athletic programs included in the report earned perfect GSR scores. (Note: U-M men's and women's lacrosse are not included because they have fewer than four years of graduation data.)
The NCAA also released its overall Division I national averages: the four-year GSR for all member schools is 88 percent, and the 2011-12 incoming class FGR is 68 percent.
Among the Big Ten Conference institutions, Michigan had the second highest GSR at 93 and the second best FGR score of 81. Northwestern led the conference with scores of 98 and 91, respectively.
Michigan's 11 varsity athletic programs with a 100 percent four-year Graduation Success Rate in the 2018 report are:
- Men's basketball
- Women's basketball
- Men's golf
- Women's golf
- Men's gymnastics
- Women's gymnastics
- Rowing
- Softball
- Men's tennis
- Volleyball
- Water polo
Michigan is the only Big Ten Conference school with perfect GSR marks in both men's and women's basketball. Women's gymnastics and water polo also had perfect Federal Graduation Rate scores.
Since the NCAA began collecting GSR data with the entering freshman class of 1995, the U-M softball team has posted perfect 100 percent scores in each annual report. Women's golf has had perfect GSR scores the last 11 years, men's tennis for the last nine years, and men's golf for the last eight.
Both the GSR and FGR are based on the number of student-athletes on athletics aid enrolling in school each year. A number of variables may impact these figures, such as student-athletes who opt for professional or educational opportunities outside of their original institution, and student-athletes in good academic standing who choose to leave school early.
The FGR is mandated by the U.S. Government and reflects the number of scholarship student-athletes who enter an institution in a specific academic year and graduate from that same institution within six academic years. It does not factor in transfer students leaving or entering an institution; the FGR counts transfers simply as non-graduates and therefore is typically lower than the GSR.
The GSR accounts for students who transfer into an institution and does not penalize institutions that have student-athletes who choose to transfer out while still in good academic standing.
