Owls Rank Among Nation’s Best in NCAA Graduation Rate Statistics
10/18/2019 12:17:00 PM | General, Men's Golf, Women's Basketball, Women's Cross Country, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball, Women's Indoor Track, Track & Field, Women's Outdoor Track
Women student-athletes tie for national lead
Rice women student-athletes tied for the national lead in one set of the most recent Division I graduation success data released on Wednesday by the NCAA while seven sports received perfect marks for their team's success in the classroom. Data was released for both the Federal Graduation Rate and the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR).
Rice's women student-athletes matched Stanford as the top programs among FBS programs with a 97% Fed Rate which measures the performance of all student-athletes who entered college between 2009 and 2012. The Owls were second last year with a Fed Rate of 96%.
Women's basketball, men's cross country and track, golf, soccer, swimming, women's tennis and volleyball each graduated all of their student-athletes in the NCAA's GSR tabulations, which reflect the six-year graduation rates for college athletes who entered school in 2012.
"We're incredibly proud of our student athletes at Rice, of both what they achieve in the classrooms and other education venues, and what they achieve on the fields, courts, courses, tracks and pools," said Rice President David Leebron. "It is not surprising they are among the best in the nation when it comes to completing their education. Their achievements reflect our and their values, and these include getting the education that maximizes their life opportunities."
"The academic success of our student-athletes is a direct result of their focus, hard work and dedication. In addition, our coaches have done an outstanding job identifying and supporting these talented student-athletes who embrace the challenge of competing both in the classroom and in athletics," Rice Director of Athletics, Recreation and Lifetime Fitness Joe Karlgaard stated. "The success of our women's programs in particular gives clear evidence that Rice is an elite destination for anyone who is driven to achieve in all aspects of their college experience."
The Federal Graduation Rate remains the only measure to compare student-athletes with the general student body. Rice's student-athletes tied for fifth nationally in the latest data (up from eighth in 2018) while the Rice student body tied for sixth.
Federal rates also provide a long-term picture of student-athlete academic achievement. The federal rate was first collected with the class that entered college in 1984, and the rate has continued to rise over the past 28 years. When rates were first collected, the general student body earned degrees at a rate higher than that of student-athletes.
The Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students than the federal graduation rate did. 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 look at student-athlete success.
Rice tied for fifth among FBS programs with an overall Fed Rate of 82% and tied for eighth with a combined GSR of 94%. Rice's female student-athletes were third nationally with a GSR score of 99%.The Owls posted the seventh-highest federal rate among African-American students (75%).
The Owls scores for these categories in both the fed rate and GSR led both Conference USA and all FBS programs in Texas.
Rice's women student-athletes matched Stanford as the top programs among FBS programs with a 97% Fed Rate which measures the performance of all student-athletes who entered college between 2009 and 2012. The Owls were second last year with a Fed Rate of 96%.
Women's basketball, men's cross country and track, golf, soccer, swimming, women's tennis and volleyball each graduated all of their student-athletes in the NCAA's GSR tabulations, which reflect the six-year graduation rates for college athletes who entered school in 2012.
"We're incredibly proud of our student athletes at Rice, of both what they achieve in the classrooms and other education venues, and what they achieve on the fields, courts, courses, tracks and pools," said Rice President David Leebron. "It is not surprising they are among the best in the nation when it comes to completing their education. Their achievements reflect our and their values, and these include getting the education that maximizes their life opportunities."
"The academic success of our student-athletes is a direct result of their focus, hard work and dedication. In addition, our coaches have done an outstanding job identifying and supporting these talented student-athletes who embrace the challenge of competing both in the classroom and in athletics," Rice Director of Athletics, Recreation and Lifetime Fitness Joe Karlgaard stated. "The success of our women's programs in particular gives clear evidence that Rice is an elite destination for anyone who is driven to achieve in all aspects of their college experience."
The Federal Graduation Rate remains the only measure to compare student-athletes with the general student body. Rice's student-athletes tied for fifth nationally in the latest data (up from eighth in 2018) while the Rice student body tied for sixth.
Federal rates also provide a long-term picture of student-athlete academic achievement. The federal rate was first collected with the class that entered college in 1984, and the rate has continued to rise over the past 28 years. When rates were first collected, the general student body earned degrees at a rate higher than that of student-athletes.
The Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students than the federal graduation rate did. 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 look at student-athlete success.
Rice tied for fifth among FBS programs with an overall Fed Rate of 82% and tied for eighth with a combined GSR of 94%. Rice's female student-athletes were third nationally with a GSR score of 99%.The Owls posted the seventh-highest federal rate among African-American students (75%).
The Owls scores for these categories in both the fed rate and GSR led both Conference USA and all FBS programs in Texas.
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