University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Student-Athletes Achieve Top-5 Rating In NCAA's New Graduation Success Rate Study
01/25/2006 | General
Jan. 25, 2006
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UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - First-year data from the NCAA's new Graduation Success Rate (GSR) show that about three-fourths of Division I student-athletes are getting their diplomas. The data also showed 97 percent of Spider student-athletes who were eligible from 1995-1998 received their degree.
The highly anticipated GSR is a new NCAA graduation-rate metric which includes transfer data in its calculations, enhancing the federally-mandated graduation-rates methodology in which Richmond ranked 11th with a graduation rate of 84 percent. The GSR was developed in response to college presidents who wanted a graduation rate that more accurately reflects the increased movement among students in today's higher education climate. Research indicates that complex patterns of college attendance are becoming the norm for U.S. college students -- it has been estimated that about 60 percent of all new bachelor's degree recipients are attending more than one undergraduate institution (two-year or four-year) during their collegiate careers.
Richmond ranks tied for fifth overall in the GSR's Top-15 behind Radford at No. 1 with a 100 percent graduation success rate. The U.S. Naval Academy is second in the release with a 99 percent rate, while Notre Dame and Valparaiso rank tied for third with a 98 percent graduation success rate. The Spiders join a host of institutions including Georgetown, Davidson, Clemson, Northwestern, Holy Cross, Lehigh and Siena with the 97 percent rate.
Because it believes the GSR is a more accurate methodology, the NCAA has appealed to the U.S. Department of Education -- the body responsible for the federal graduation-rates calculation -- to adopt the new rate, but the department has to date resisted the change. Thus, NCAA officials are treating the GSR not as a replacement for the federal rate, but as a supplemental rate they believe provides a broader and more accurate snapshot of student-athlete academic success.
-- portions of this release were taken from an Associated Press release at NCAA.org
Top-15 Graduation Success Rates
| Rank | Institution | Rate |
| 1 | Radford | 100 |
| 2 | US Naval Academy | 99 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 98 |
| -- | Valparaiso | 98 |
| 5 | University of Richmond | 97 |
| -- | Georgetown | 97 |
| -- | Davidson | 97 |
| -- | Holy Cross | 97 |
| -- | Northwestern | 97 |
| -- | Lehigh | 97 |
| -- | Siena | 97 |
| -- | Clemson | 97 |
| 13 | Duke | 96 |
| -- | Sacred Heart | 96 |
| 15 | William & Mary | 95 |
| -- | Villanova | 95 |
| -- | Loyola College (Md.) | 95 |
| -- | The Citadel | 95 |
| -- | Robert Morris | 95 |
Top-15 Federal Graduation Rates
| Rank | Institution | Rate |
| 1 | Georgetown | 93 |
| 2 | Davidson | 92 |
| -- | Bucknell | 92 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | 90 |
| -- | Duke | 90 |
| 6 | Stanford | 88 |
| 7 | Holy Cross | 87 |
| -- | Colgate | 87 |
| 9 | Northwestern | 86 |
| -- | Saint Joseph's | 86 |
| 11 | University of Richmond | 84 |
| 12 | Lehigh | 83 |
| -- | William & Mary | 83 |
| -- | Dayton | 83 |
| -- | Rice | 83 |
