University of North Texas Athletics
Student-Athletes Set New Graduation Record
11/18/2020 8:30:00 AM | General
DENTON – North Texas student-athletes recorded their best-ever score in the Graduation Success Rate (GSR), the NCAA announced this week. The most-recent data revealed that Mean Green student-athletes are graduating at an 86 percent rate, which eclipses the record of 85, which they set last year.
"I'm proud that we continue to make progress and set records in our mission of building champions and preparing leaders," Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. "Ultimately we are here to prepare these student-athletes for life beyond college and graduating is an integral part of that preparation."
The most recent GSR information is based on the four freshman classes that entered school from 2010 through 2013. It allows a six-year window in which student-athletes can go on to earn their degree. Since GSR data collecting began with the 1995-98 cohort, North Texas student-athletes have improved from a score of 59 to this year's record-setting 86.
This marks the 11th straight year of GSR data that Mean Green student-athletes have improved or maintained their cumulative score, improving from a score of 67 in the 2008-09 data to the current 86. Of the 23 Div. I schools in Texas, only six schools had a better GSR score than North Texas and UT-Austin was the only public school with a better score. In Conference USA, only five of the 13 other member schools had a GSR score better than UNT.
Five Mean Green teams had a perfect 100 in the latest GSR report – men's and women's golf, soccer, softball and tennis. Swimming and volleyball each had a score of 90 or above in the most recent data.
The GSR was developed by the NCAA as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately measure the academic success of Division I student-athletes by better accounting for the many different academic paths followed by today's college students. The NCAA also released the most recent federal graduation rate data in conjunction with the GSR information. The GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students, whereas the federal graduation rate does not. The GSR also accounts for mid-year enrollees. The NCAA calculates the federal graduation rate for student-athletes because it is the only rate by which to compare student-athletes to the general student body.
