COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State’s student-athletes and athletics programs continue to excel in the classroom, as shown in Graduation Success Rate data released Tuesday by the NCAA.
The Buckeyes’ single-year score of 92 is the second-highest in school history, behind only the 93 recorded last year. The scores from the last three years – 92/93/92 – mark the best three-year stretch for the university and the four-year rolling score (2012-15) is 91, an all-time high.
The NCAA established the GSR in 2002 as a means of understanding student-athletes’ academic completion rates more concretely. It does so by accounting for two groups that play an increasingly prominent role in collegiate athletics: mid-year, first-time enrollees and transfers.
“The report reflects significant overall success. Nineteen of our teams raised or maintained their GSR score, and 15 of those (including football), did the same with their Federal Rate scores as well,” Faculty Athletics Representative John E. Davidson said. “Eight of the squads for which GSR numbers dipped saw statistically minimal variations (1-2%). As a whole, this report indicates that student-athlete success at Ohio State is exceptionally strong across our programs.'”
Eleven teams increased their four-year GSR scores and seven – baseball, women’s fencing, women’s golf, men’s tennis, synchronized swimming, women’s lacrosse and women’s tennis – posted perfect scores.
Men’s cross country/track and field, men’s gymnastics, men’s hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s swimming and diving, men’s volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s cross country/track and field, field hockey, women’s gymnastics, women’s hockey, women’s soccer and rifle, all had GSR numbers of 90 or better.
“When the four-year cohort is examined year by year, a very positive trend emerges,” Davidson said. “After the 2012-13 cohort recorded a single-year GSR of 87%, the following years jumped into the 90s and have stayed there. These numbers reflect very high achievement and the consistency speaks to the concern for student-athletes’ academic wellbeing that is at the center of our athletics culture.”
The football program had its program-best score with an 85, passing the 81 set last year and in 2014-15. Baseball had the first perfect score in its history.
