Tuesday, November 17, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference continues to set records in graduation rates according to data on Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) and Academic Success Rate (ASR) released today by the NCAA.

The conference set all-time highs for both metrics, which tracks freshman student-athletes who entered college from 2010 to 2013 and is based on a six-year cohort, as prescribed by the U.S. Department of Education.

The GNAC realized a Federal Graduation Rate of 65 percent, which is well above the national rate of 59 percent for all Division II student-athletes and 51 percent for the general student body. The rate marks a three percent improvement over last year’s report (for the 2009-2012 cohort) and marks the third consecutive year that the conference has seen an FGR increase. The rate is also well above the general student body graduate rate of 57 percent for GNAC institutions.

Likewise, the GNAC saw its Academic Success Rate improve to 79 percent, well ahead of the national rate of 74 percent for all Division II student-athletes. It marks the fifth consecutive year that the conference has realized a one percent improvement in the metric.

“We are extremely pleased with the academic data released by the NCAA today,” said commissioner Dave Haglund. “Not surprisingly, the GNAC continues to post impressive statistics while annually ranking among the top conferences in Division II. It is especially gratifying to know that all but two of the GNAC’s sponsored sports saw year-over-year increases in the federal graduation rate. This is a tribute not only to the student-athletes, but also our coaches and administrators who continue to be intentional in supporting a healthy balance between academics and athletics.”

All seven GNAC sponsored women’s sports realized at least a one percent increase in graduation rate, led by a 16 percent leap in women’s golf to 83 percent. Four GNAC sponsored men’s sports realized a graduation rate increase with the two other sports maintaining their rate. Golf led all men’s sports with a 76 percent graduation rate. Both men’s and women’s basketball realized a six-percent increase in graduation rate.

The GNAC ranked sixth among 23 Division II conferences in FGR and was tied for seventh in ASR. Over the last nine cohort reports released by the NCAA, the GNAC has ranked in the top-10 for graduation rate every year and in the top-nine for academic success rate.

Nationwide, the national four-year ASR average increased slightly to 74 percent and the entering class of 2013 increased two points to 77 percent, an all-time high for single-year rates. The federal rate for Division II student-athletes in the 2013 entering class increase by one point to 62 percent, another all-time high, while the general student body increased one point to 53 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 32,000 student-athletes who are not receiving athletically related financial aid, the four years covered in the most recent data.