BOSTON – Still in the midst of the most successful year in school history, Northeastern's student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom as four Huskies' programs earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards on Wednesday. The baseball, women's basketball, men's cross country and men's track and field selections are the most for Northeastern since 2013-14.
 
The award is given to programs posting scores in the top ten of their sport based on the most recent Academic Progress Rate (APR), and marks the 10th straight year that at least one Northeastern team has earned the Public Recognition Award. The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams.
 
"I applaud every program earning a Public Recognition Award this year for their commitment to going above and beyond to prepare students for life after college through academic achievement," NCAA President Mark Emmert said. "To have nine national champions so far this year — including men's and women's basketball — be among those recognized illustrates that student-athletes succeed athletically and academically."
 
Earlier this month, Northeastern student-athletes achieved a 3.257 cumulative grade point average during the Spring 2018 semester, marking the 21st straight semester student-athletes have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater. This spring semester's GPA was also an increase from the fall, when student-athletes earned a cumulative 3.226 GPA.
 
This year, teams earning Public Recognition Awards increased to 1,284 nationally, up by 79 from the previous academic year, largely as a result of an increase in perfect scores. Of the teams recognized, 457 competed in men's or mixed sports, and 827 competed in women's sports. APRs for programs in the top 10 percent ranged from 985 to a perfect 1,000, and the number of teams posting perfect scores increased to 1,188, marking an increase of 98 teams from last year.
 
APR scores for all Division I teams will be released May 23. The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or academic term and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in every sport. All teams must meet an academic threshold of 930 to qualify for the postseason.
 
The most recent APRs are multiyear rates based on scores from the 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years.