Cards' Academic Success Reflected in NCAA Report
November 04, 2015 | General, Academic Services
Louisville student-athletes achieved an 81-percent graduation rate.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville student-athletes continue to achieve at a high level academically, producing a level of success that is reflected in recent national graduation rates released by the NCAA on Wednesday.
UofL student-athletes achieved an 81 percent graduation rate in the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) Report, which was developed 11 years ago to account for transfers into the university who graduate and those who leave in good academic standing. The Cardinals' GSR, most recently reported for freshmen who entered in the 2008-09 academic year, has risen 15 percent since the reporting began 11 years ago. Ten sports -- women's basketball, field hockey, women's golf, women's rowing, women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and women's tennis and volleyball -- attained a GSR at 90 percent or above in the most recent report. Women's golf, women's tennis and softball achieved perfect marks.
Over the last 12 years, graduation rates for UofL student-athletes have risen 15 percent, improving from 48 percent for the freshman class which entered UofL in 1997-98 to a 63 percent graduation rate in the most recent 2008-09 figures. UofL student-athletes graduate at a nine percent higher rate than the overall university student population in the 2008-09 four-class average.
"I'm pleased with the progress we made over the years," said Tom Jurich, UofL Vice-President and Director of Athletics. "Our coaches are committed to recruiting high-level student-athletes and we have the mechanisms in place, plus the passion among our support staff, to assist our student-athletes in attaining their academic goals. We're not satisfied, but we're pleased with the many academic success stories generated by our student-athletes."
All UofL student-athletes combined to produce an average grade point average of 3.0 or better for each of the last nine straight semesters. A record of 376 student-athletes achieved a 3.0 or higher GPA in the fall 2014 semester.
UofL's men's basketball, men's cross country, women's golf and softball teams were among the top 10 percent in their respective sports in the latest figures for the Academic Progress Rate (APR), which measures academic eligibility, retention and graduation for student-athletes. All four sports programs have a perfect 1000 score for the most recent four-year period from 2010-14 and 15 teams posted a perfect score in the most recent single-year APR data.
