BOSTON — Northeastern University student-athletes continue to excel academically and achieve at a level higher than their Division I peers, according to data released Wednesday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
This latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) report comes one week after three Northeastern teams were recognized by the NCAA with Public Recognition Awards for high academic achievement. Those teams — men's cross country, men's soccer, and women's indoor track and field — posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sport.
The 17 Northeastern varsity sports that were included in this week's APR report posted an average multi-year APR of 988, a rate well above the national average of 976. Impressively, 15 of those 17 squads posted APR scores above the overall national average, and each of those 15 teams also scored above the national average for their respective sport.
Seven Northeastern programs posted the highest APR score in their conference for their respective sport, and a total of 14 Northeastern teams scored in the top four in their respective conference.
Highlights from Northeastern's 2012-13 APR report include:> Men's cross country earned a perfect APR score of 1000
> Of the 17 Northeastern teams included in the APR report, 15 posted a four-year APR score at or above the national average
> Of the 17 Northeastern teams included in the APR report, 15 scored equal to or above the national average for their respective sport
> Every Northeastern team had an APR score above 950 (20 points above the NCAA's 930 figure for possible penalties)
> The men's basketball team earned an APR score of 984, 27 points higher than the Division I men's basketball average of 957
> Four teams earned an APR score at least 20 points higher than the national average for their sport (baseball, men's basketball, men's cross country, and men's soccer)
> Seven Northeastern teams posted the highest APR score in their conference for their respective sport
The NCAA report follows another impressive semester in the classroom, as 72 NU student-athletes were named to the Dean's List en route to a cumulative 3.111 grade point average. Thirty-two student-athletes earned Top Dog distinction (GPA of 3.8 or higher), including 10 who registered a perfect 4.0 and 14 more who earned a 3.9 or better.
On May 2, at the university's 112th commencement ceremony, 58 current and former Northeastern student-athletes received their degrees. Impressively, nearly half of all Northeastern student-athletes who earned degrees during the 2013-14 academic year graduated with honors. This year's graduating student-athletes represented 22 academic disciplines and 16 different athletic teams.
"Ten years ago, the membership designed the APR to encourage student-athletes to stay in school and earn good grades. We are pleased to see that more and more student-athletes are doing that every year," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. "The significant academic standards adopted by our membership help us support success in the classroom to the same degree that we support success on the playing fields."
The APR is a real-time measure of eligibility and retention of student-athletes competing on every Division I sports team. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on the rates from the 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years.
In order to compete in the 2014-15 postseason, teams must achieve either a 930 multi-year APR or a 940 average over the most recent two years.
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