Northwestern football ranks second among all FBS schools with a 95 percent GSR.Northwestern football ranks second among all FBS schools with a 95 percent GSR.

Northwestern Maintains Outstanding 97 Percent GSR in Latest NCAA Data

Oct. 27, 2010

Northwestern's 2010 GSR Report Sport Breakdown (PDF Format) Get Acrobat Reader

EVANSTON, Ill. -- In the most recent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data released by the NCAA last month, Northwestern continues to pace the Big Ten and rank among the leaders in the nation in student-athlete academic success with a 97 percent GSR.

Ten of NU's 19 varsity sports have perfect 100 percent GSR's for the most recent cohort, which measures incoming freshman classes from 2000-2003. Women's cross country, women's fencing, men's golf, women's golf, women's lacrosse, men's soccer, women's swimming, men's tennis, women's tennis and women's volleyball achieved those perfect scores for NU.

This number represents a four-sport drop in total Wildcat programs receiving perfect scores compared to last year's data, but NU's lowest single-program GSR rate improved from 88 to 90 in that same time frame, helping to keep Northwestern's overall GSR consistent at 97 percent.

"The number one goal of our coaches and staff at Northwestern is to provide a world class experience," Northwestern Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips said. "To be certain, we are exceptionally proud of our student-athletes for taking that opportunity and showing an outstanding commitment to excellence in the classroom in pursuit of a prestigious Northwestern degree. It is a source of great pride that we remain a leader among our peers in graduating our student-athletes."

Northwestern football earned a 95 percent GSR for the current cohort, ranking it in a second-place tie among all FBS schools and on top of the Big Ten, 11 percentage points ahead of its nearest conference counterpart.

The NCAA developed the GSR to more accurately assess long-term student-athlete academic success. The GSR differs from the federally mandated graduation rate in that it holds institutions accountable for transfer students, accounts for mid-year enrollees and is calculated for every sport. Data show the GSR includes almost 105,000 student-athletes in the most recent four classes, compared to just over 77,000 counted in the federal graduation rate. The NCAA continues to provide the federal rate, though, since there is no comparable rate to the GSR for the general student body. This marks the ninth year GSR data have been collected.

••••••

Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook! and subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!