
Student-Athletes' Graduate Success Rate Climbs to 88 Percent
12/6/2021 1:30:00 PM | General
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly's Graduation Success Rate among its nearly 600 student-athletes continues to climb.
Using data about students and student-athletes entering as freshmen in 2014, Cal Poly's Graduation Success Rate jumped two more percentage points to 88 percent. That figure represents an increase of 19 percentage points over the past 11 years.
The NCAA Graduation Rates Report was released by the NCAA on Thursday.
Women's volleyball led the way with a 14-percent improvement in its GSR as well as a 17-point jump in its Federal Graduation Rate. Men's swimming and diving improved its GSR score by nine points, wrestling eight points, football seven, baseball six and softball six as well.
As for the FGR, wrestling jumped 11 points, baseball and men's swimming and diving nine and men's soccer seven.
The current Graduation Rates Report compiles data about students and student-athletes entering as freshmen in 2014, the most recent graduating class for which the required six years of information is available.
"These numbers reflect what we have always known about the special nature of Cal Poly student-athletes," said Cal Poly Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman. "These men and women embody our motto of 'Athletic and Academic Excellence'.
"Our entire staff emphases the 'student' in student-athlete, and helping develop better future leaders in all our communities," Oberhelman added. "Louise Torgerson, Kyle Ross, Zach Reed, Carly Head and the entire Mustang Success Center unit work tirelessly with our student-athletes to help them earn their degrees."
Among the 11 Big West Conference member schools, Cal Poly is fourth overall. UC Davis leads with a 92-percent GSR followed by UC San Diego (91) and Long Beach State (89). In the Big Sky Conference, Cal Poly's 86-percent success rate in football trails only Northern Colorado (88) and UC Davis (87).
The Federal Graduation Rate, Graduation Success Rate and Academic Success Rate (formerly Academic Progress Rate, which is released in the spring) all measure the graduation success of students at NCAA member institutions in a relatively similar fashion. At their core, all are based on a comparison of the number of students who entered a college or university in a given year and the number of those who graduated within six years of their initial enrollment.
Eleven of Cal Poly's athletic teams posted a GSR of over 90 percent, two more than a year ago. They include golf, basketball, cross country/track and field and tennis on the men's side and the women's teams of golf, softball, tennis, volleyball, beach volleyball and swimming and diving.
Men's golf, men's basketball, men's tennis, women's golf, softball, women's tennis, women's volleyball, women's beach volleyball and women's swimming and diving all posted 100 percent graduation success rates. Men's golf is the lone Mustang team with an FGR score of 100 percent.
In addition to the teams listed above with improvements of five or more percent, men's cross country/track and field and men's soccer increased their GSR scores in the last year as well.
Men's basketball, men's golf, men's tennis, women's golf, women's tennis and women's swimming and diving maintained their GSR scores of a year ago.
As for the Federal Graduation Rate, men's basketball, women's basketball, women's golf and women's tennis improved their scores over the last year.
Using data about students and student-athletes entering as freshmen in 2014, Cal Poly's Graduation Success Rate jumped two more percentage points to 88 percent. That figure represents an increase of 19 percentage points over the past 11 years.
The NCAA Graduation Rates Report was released by the NCAA on Thursday.
Women's volleyball led the way with a 14-percent improvement in its GSR as well as a 17-point jump in its Federal Graduation Rate. Men's swimming and diving improved its GSR score by nine points, wrestling eight points, football seven, baseball six and softball six as well.
As for the FGR, wrestling jumped 11 points, baseball and men's swimming and diving nine and men's soccer seven.
The current Graduation Rates Report compiles data about students and student-athletes entering as freshmen in 2014, the most recent graduating class for which the required six years of information is available.
"These numbers reflect what we have always known about the special nature of Cal Poly student-athletes," said Cal Poly Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman. "These men and women embody our motto of 'Athletic and Academic Excellence'.
"Our entire staff emphases the 'student' in student-athlete, and helping develop better future leaders in all our communities," Oberhelman added. "Louise Torgerson, Kyle Ross, Zach Reed, Carly Head and the entire Mustang Success Center unit work tirelessly with our student-athletes to help them earn their degrees."
Among the 11 Big West Conference member schools, Cal Poly is fourth overall. UC Davis leads with a 92-percent GSR followed by UC San Diego (91) and Long Beach State (89). In the Big Sky Conference, Cal Poly's 86-percent success rate in football trails only Northern Colorado (88) and UC Davis (87).
The Federal Graduation Rate, Graduation Success Rate and Academic Success Rate (formerly Academic Progress Rate, which is released in the spring) all measure the graduation success of students at NCAA member institutions in a relatively similar fashion. At their core, all are based on a comparison of the number of students who entered a college or university in a given year and the number of those who graduated within six years of their initial enrollment.
Eleven of Cal Poly's athletic teams posted a GSR of over 90 percent, two more than a year ago. They include golf, basketball, cross country/track and field and tennis on the men's side and the women's teams of golf, softball, tennis, volleyball, beach volleyball and swimming and diving.
Men's golf, men's basketball, men's tennis, women's golf, softball, women's tennis, women's volleyball, women's beach volleyball and women's swimming and diving all posted 100 percent graduation success rates. Men's golf is the lone Mustang team with an FGR score of 100 percent.
In addition to the teams listed above with improvements of five or more percent, men's cross country/track and field and men's soccer increased their GSR scores in the last year as well.
Men's basketball, men's golf, men's tennis, women's golf, women's tennis and women's swimming and diving maintained their GSR scores of a year ago.
As for the Federal Graduation Rate, men's basketball, women's basketball, women's golf and women's tennis improved their scores over the last year.
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