Owls continue to rank as graduation success rate powerhouse

Rice student-athletes continue to excel at a graduate success rate (GSR) that ranks among the finest in the nation, according to the NCAA tabulations released Nov. 4.

The Owls were tied for eighth overall among all schools that compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Rice graduated 92 percent of all student-athletes who enrolled as freshmen from 2005-06 through 2008-09.

Rice ranked fifth with a 92 percent graduation rate among its African-American student-athletes, while Rice’s football team was ranked third among all football teams, with a graduation rate of 95 percent over the same period. Rice’s female student-athletes tied for 10th in the country, with a 97 percent graduation rate.

The Owls football team led the way among Texas FBS schools, posting a GSR 11 points higher than Texas Christian University. Rice led Conference USA schools as well, finishing 7 percentage points higher than Louisiana Tech.

Nationally, the GSR for student-athletes who began college in 2006 is 86 percent, which represents an overall 2 percent rise across the country and is the highest in the 14 years of the rankings. In those 14 years, the combined GSR has risen 13 points.

This year marks the 14th year GSR data has been collected. The NCAA began collecting GSR data with the entering freshman class of 1995. The latest entering class for which data is available is 2008.

The graduation success rate was developed by the NCAA as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately measure the academic performance of Division I student-athletes by better accounting for the many different paths followed by today’s college students. Unlike the federal graduation rate, the GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees and is calculated for every sport.

Because incoming transfer students and midyear enrollees are counted, the GSR increases the total number of student-athletes tracked for graduation by more than 10 percent. Under the GSR calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. These outgoing transfers are essentially passed to the receiving institution’s GSR cohort.

Rice ranked fifth overall in the federal graduation rate for all student-athletes (83 percent), while Rice’s overall student body was ranked sixth (92 percent). Rice’s female student-athletes rank fifth in the nation with a federal rate of 90 percent. The Owls posted the third-highest federal rate among African-American students (87 percent), while the football team was ranked third (88 percent).