St. John’s Athletics Excels in NCAA Graduation Success Rate

Twelve St. John’s teams achieved Graduation Success Rates (GSR) over the Division I national average, it was announced in the NCAA’s release of its annual report on Tuesday. Six of these Red Storm teams achieved perfect graduation success rates of 100 percent: women’s volleyball, women’s tennis, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, men’s golf and men’s fencing. Women’s cross country and track & field, women’s golf, women’s fencing, men’s soccer, men’s lacrosse and men’s basketball received GSR scores above national average. This year’s GSR report is based on data from the 2006-09 cohort.

“We are extremely proud of our student-athletes who, year after year, perform well athletically, serve more than 2750 hours in the community and statistically are above the national average in GSR,” said Associate Vice President for Athletics/Senior Women’s Administrator Kathleen Meehan. “We not only talk about our motto ‘Win. Graduate. Serve.’ but we practice it!”

Several Red Storm teams have achieved resounding success in graduating its student-athletes at a perfect percentage. Of the six teams that achieved 100 percent graduation success rates in this year’s report, three of those teams have been graduating student-athletes at a 100 percent clip for at least five consecutive years: women’s tennis (five years), women’s soccer (seven years), and men’s golf (nine years).

The GSR is an NCAA measurement that enhances the federally mandated graduation-rate by including student-athlete transfer data in calculation. It was developed in response to colleges and universities who asked for graduation data that more accurately reflect the mobility among students in today's higher education climate. The report provides information about two groups of students at college or university: (1) all undergraduate students who were enrolled in a full-time program of studies for a degree and (2) student-athletes who received athletics aid from the college or university for any period of time during their entering year.

According to the NCAA, the GSR rate “provides a more complete and accurate look at actual student-athlete success by taking into account the full variety of participants in Division I athletics and tracking their academic outcomes.” The GSR accounts for scholarship and transfer student-athletes, and adjusts for those scholarship student-athletes from the initial cohort who depart an institution prior to earning a baccalaureate degree but were academically eligible to compete had they remained in attendance at the institution.

GSR CALCULATION
• Based on a six-year window for graduation.
• Includes all scholarship student-athletes entering the institution, including transfers.
• Student-athletes who withdraw from the institution while academically eligible to compete are removed from the six-year cohort.

FEDERAL GRADUATION RATE CALCULATION
• Based on a six-year window for graduation.
• Includes scholarship student-athletes matriculating at the institution in a given year, not including transfers.
• Student-athletes who transfer or withdraw from the institution while academically eligible to compete count against the rate.