OHIO Athletics posts record-setting Graduation Success Rate, Federal Graduation Rate

In graduation data released by the NCAA today, Ohio University student-athletes have a four-class average (2009-13) of 89 percent in the Graduation Success Rate (GSR), and, in the 2012-13 cohort, have a Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) of 76 percent – the highest marks the University's athletics department has ever achieved. Ohio's GSR surpasses the four-class average of 88 percent set between 2008-12, while the FGR surpasses the 75 percent set by the 2010-11 cohort.

"The commitment to academic excellence from our student-athletes, academic staff, coaches and faculty has allowed us to achieve our highest-ever Graduation Success Rate,” said Ohio Director of Athletics Julie Cromer. “This accomplishment demonstrates the priority we place on graduating student-athletes and ensuring they are prepared for success when they depart Ohio University with degrees in-hand." 

The student-athlete graduation rate calculated directly based on IPEDS-GRS (which is the methodology the U.S. Department of Education requires) is the proportion of first-year, full-time student-athletes who entered a school on athletics aid and graduated from that institution within six years. This federal rate does not account for students who transfer from their original institution and graduate elsewhere.

Ohio student-athletes continue to outperform the general student population at Ohio when comparing term and yearly FGR and GPA data. Ohio ranks fourth in GSR and tied for second in FGR among Mid-American Conference schools.

The 2018-19 academic year saw Ohio boast a 3.235 departmental accumulative GPA, with 300 student-athletes earning above a 3.0 GPA and 44 earning a perfect 4.0 term GPA. A total of 115 student-athletes earned Academic All-Mid-American Conference distinction while 15 were earned MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes. Ohio’s single-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992 is higher than the NCAA Division I, NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and MAC averages while its single-year APR retention rate of 988 is higher than the NCAA Division I, NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and MAC averages.

NCAA members, particularly presidents and chancellors, asked the NCAA in the early 2000s to develop a measure of student-athlete graduation success that more accurately reflects modern-day patterns of student enrollment and transfer. As a result, the NCAA created the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for Division I.

The NCAA GSR differs from the federal calculation in two important ways. First, the GSR holds colleges accountable for those student-athletes who transfer into their school. Second, the GSR does not penalize colleges whose student-athletes transfer in good academic standing. Essentially, those student-athletes are moved into another college's cohort.