BOSTON -- Northeastern University student-athletes continue to distinguish themselves in the classroom, graduating at rates well above their conference and national peers, according to information released Wednesday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The annual report, issued by the NCAA, revealed a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 91 percent for all Northeastern student-athletes, compared to a national average of 87 percent for all Division I institutions.
Of the 13 NU teams included in the report, 10 scored at or above the national average for their respective sport. Nine teams—baseball, men's cross country/track and field, women's cross country/track and field, field hockey, women's ice hockey, women's rowing, men's soccer, women's swimming and diving, volleyball—achieved a perfect GSR of 100 percent. Each of those nine teams ranked first in their conference in graduation success.
Northeastern also set the benchmark in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) with eight teams ranked among the top-three in the 11 CAA-sponsored sports in which the university competes. William & Mary was the next closest with six teams in the top three.
"Student-athletes are reaching their academic goals and earning degrees at record rates," NCAA President Mark Emmert said. "The dramatic improvement in the graduation rate for African-American student-athletes in all sports is a significant achievement, and our student-athletes and member schools should be proud of the work they are doing. The goal of all the NCAA's academic policies and programs is to prepare students for life after college, and graduation is integral to this success."
This announcement comes on the heels of another successful semester in the classroom last spring, recording a cumulative grade point average (GPA) greater than 3.0 for the 19th straight semester. The Red and Black also had 55 student-athletes receive diplomas at the university's 115th Commencement in May. Five graduates completed their coursework with cum laude honors (3.5-3.69 GPA), three earned magna cum laude honors (3.7-3.849 GPA) and two achieved summa cum laude honors (3.85-4.0 GPA), while the graduating class as a whole finished with a cumulative 3.175 GPA.
Northeastern highlights from the NCAA report:
• Northeastern achieved an overall GSR of 91 percent, four points above the national average of 87 percent.
• Nine Northeastern teams achieved a perfect GSR of 100 percent: baseball, men's cross country/track and field, women's cross country/track and field, field hockey, women's ice hockey, women's rowing, men's soccer, women's swimming and diving, women's volleyball.
• 10 (of 13) Northeastern teams scored at or above the national average for their respective sport.
• Eight Northeastern teams ranked among the top three in the CAA in the 11 CAA-sponsored sports in which the university competes (baseball, men's cross country/track and field, women's cross country/track and field, field hockey, women's rowing, men's soccer, women's swimming and diving, women's volleyball).
• Four Northeastern teams achieved a GSR that was at least 11 points above the national average for their sport (baseball, +20; men's cross country track and field, +19; men's soccer, +17; women's cross country/track and field, +11).
The Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students than the federal graduation rate. The federal rate counts any student who leaves a school as an academic failure, no matter whether he or she enrolls at another school. Also, the federal rate does not recognize students who enter school as transfer students.
The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere. This calculation makes it a more complete and accurate look at student-athlete success.
The rate also allows for a deeper understanding of graduation success in individual sports than the federal metric, which provides only broad groupings.
* - Northeastern sponsors 18 varsity programs. Though separate sports, the report calculates men's indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and cross country as one program. Women's indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and cross country are also calculated as one program. The NCAA does not sponsor men's rowing so that program is not included in the report.
