RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada’s Graduation Success Rate rose for the eighth time in nine years and matched its high-water mark of 80 percent, according to data released by the NCAA today.
“Our student-athletes strive for excellence and we are proud of their accomplishments and successes,” said athletics director Doug Knuth. “Credit is also due to our coaches and staff who keep the focus on education and academic achievement, which is the ultimate priority in collegiate athletics.”
This is the 10th year that the NCAA has calculated data for the Graduation Success Rate (GSR). Nevada’s average rate for each of the reports during that time is 72.5 percent. The Wolf Pack’s first score was 62 percent in 2005 and the GSR has now hit 80 percent twice in the history of the program. Overall, Nevada has seen more than 600 of its student-athletes graduate in the past nine years.
“Our student athletes are committed to success in the field of competition, and the steady improvement in our Graduation Success Rate reflects their dedication to stay on the path toward a college degree as well,” said University president Marc Johnson. “At this University and across the Mountain West Conference great emphasis is placed on the success of the ‘whole student’ in our learning environments, athletic programs and ultimately in life. The integral contribution of Wolf Pack coaches and staff toward this is greatly appreciated.”
Among Mountain West schools, Nevada’s GSR of 80 percent for this cohort was better than all but three conference members (Air Force, Utah State and Colorado State).
This year’s GSR is based on student-athletes who began enrollment in the fall of 2007 and received athletic aid in their first year of college. The Graduation Success Rate was developed by the NCAA as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes.
Unlike the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR), the Graduation Success Rate holds institutions accountable for transfer student-athletes, includes mid-year enrollees, and is calculated for every sport. The FGR for Nevada’s student-athletes also rose moving from 64 to 68 percent. That number has also increased overall, from 47 percent in 2007. The FGR measures only those students who complete a degree from their initial school and counts all transfer students as academic failures.
