Wednesday, October 16, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – Great Northwest Athletic Conference student-athletes collectively matched or established conference bests in Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) and Academic Success Rate (ASR), respectively, according to data released Wednesday by the NCAA.

The GNAC’s FGR and ASR both increased by one percent year-over-year. The graduation rate of 62 percent equaled the previous best conference mark in the last nine years (set in 2016). It also was four points higher than the average for all Division II student-athletes (58 percent) and 12 points higher than for all students at DII institutions.

The GNAC’s ASR of 78 percent topped the nine-year high-water mark of 77 percent set a year ago. It was also the fourth consecutive year in which the GNAC’s ASR showed an increase.

The data for both rates tracks freshmen student-athletes who entered college from 2009 to 2012 and is based on a six-year cohort, as prescribed by the U.S. Department of Education.

“The data released today once again positively affirms the academic commitment our conference members make to their student-athletes year in and year out,” said Dave Haglund, GNAC commissioner. “These figures are a tribute to the student-athletes first and foremost, but they also are reflective of the efforts by GNAC coaches and administrators who truly embrace and cultivate the Division II philosophy of ‘life in the balance.’”

Across the 24 conferences in Division II, the GNAC’s ASR ranks tied for seventh and its FGR ranks tied for eighth. Moreover, the GNAC’s FGR is significantly higher than the rate for students overall at GNAC member institutions (56 percent).

The Academic Success Rate differs from the graduation data in that it accounts for the outcomes of student-athletes who transfer from one institution to another (and removes students who left the institution in good academic standing). The Division II ASR also measures outcomes for the approximately 34,000 student-athletes who are not receiving athletically related financial aid, a unique metric among NCAA divisions.