NCAA Release
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 90 percent for all Northeastern student-athletes, compared to a national average of 88 percent for all Division I institutions.
Of the 13 NU programs included in the report, nine scored at or above the national average for their respective sport. Seven teams—baseball, men's cross country/track and field, women's cross country/track and field, women's ice hockey, men's soccer, women's swimming and diving, volleyball—achieved a perfect GSR of 100 percent. Each of those seven teams ranked first in their conference in graduation success.
"Student‐athletes continue to achieve academic success at record levels," NCAA President Mark Emmert said. "When the GSR was created more than 15 years ago, the NCAA set an aspirational goal of 80 percent of student‐athletes graduating. College athletes have met and exceeded that goal — as they often do with any challenge.
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 21st straight semester. The Howlin' Huskies also had more than 80 student-athletes receive diplomas at the university's 116th Commencement in May. Twelve graduates completed their coursework with cum laude honors (3.5-3.69 GPA), two earned magna cum laude honors (3.7-3.849 GPA) and three achieved summa cum laude honors (3.85-4.0 GPA).
Northeastern highlights from the NCAA report:
• Northeastern achieved an overall GSR of 90 percent, two points above the national average of 88 percent.
• Seven Northeastern teams achieved a perfect GSR of 100 percent: baseball, men's cross country/track and field, women's cross country/track and field, women's ice hockey, men's soccer, women's swimming and diving and volleyball.
• Nine (of 13) Northeastern teams scored at or above the national average for their respective sport.
• Four Northeastern teams achieved a GSR that was at least 10 points above the national average for their sport (baseball, +18; men's cross country track and field, +18; men's soccer, +15; women's cross country/track and field, +10).
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 federal graduation rate, however, remains the only measure to compare student-athletes with the general student body.
* - 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.
