Arizona State got some good news this week when the NCAA released Graduation Success Rates (GSR) for each university. ASU's GSR has improved for four straight years and is now at an all time high of 79-percent.
The study is based on student athletes who entered college as a freshman from 2001-2004. ASU ranks 5th in the Pac-12 in Graduation Success Rate, and just a percentage point behind Oregon (80%) for fourth place. The Sun Devils are just four percentage points away from second place.
ASU's women's GSR is at 94-percent, which is second in the Pac-12,just behind Stanford who has a 97-percent GSR. Five ASU women's teams lead the Pac-12 in Graduation Success Rate. Swimming and diving, track and field, cross country, tennis, and volleyball all finished with a GSR of 100-percent.
ASU men's teams had a combined GSR of 66-percent. ASU's football team has a GSR of 64-percent, which ranks third in the Pac-12, behind only Stanford (87%) and Washington (76%). Men's swimming and diving lead the Pac-12 in GSR with 100-percent.
"The graduation success rate is the most significant measure of student athlete academic achievement that exists," said Jean Boyd, Associate Athletic Director for the Office of Student-Athlete Development. "The 79-percent ranks us in the Top 5 of the Pac-12, which is an elite academic and athletic conference. We are just one point away from our goal of reaching 80-percent and we are working hard to achieve that goal," said Boyd
Athletic Director Lisa Love takes graduation rates at ASU very seriously. "Results measured by graduation and competitive successes are keystones to defining Sun Devil Athletics."