Continuing the Huskers’ long tradition of being a national leader in the classroom, Nebraska student-athletes have scored a 95% NCAA Graduation Success Rate.
The mark, announced by the NCAA on Dec. 2, is the highest in the history of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. It ranks Nebraska among the best in the Big Ten and nation for student-athletes earning degrees. It is also the 11th straight year Nebraska has improved its graduation success rate.
“We have always taken pride in being a leader in academic achievement at the University of Nebraska,” said Trev Alberts, vice chancellor and director of athletics. “I am honored to serve at a school that focuses on developing well-rounded student-athletes, and I am proud of the young men and women who have worked to earn their degrees while competing as a Nebraska student-athlete.”
Nebraska’s 95% graduation success rate ties for third among the 14 Big Ten institutions. On the national level, Nebraska is tied for 10th out of the 130 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
The Huskers’ record-high graduation success rate includes 13 programs that achieved a perfect 100%. Those teams include baseball, men’s basketball, men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis, women’s basketball, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, rifle, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, women’s tennis, and volleyball.
Women’s basketball, tennis and volleyball programs have earned a perfect graduation rate each of the 17 years it has been computed by the NCAA.
Overall, 17 of Nebraska’s 19 sports programs set or tied the university’s record mark.
The Husker football program continues a long tradition of ranking among the national academic leaders. The football program achieved a 90% graduation success rate, which is the highest in school history. It is also well above the national average of 81% among FBS schools.
Baseball (100 percent), men’s track and field/cross country (96%) and wrestling (95%) also reached their highest graduations success rate in school history.
“We are very proud that our student-athlete graduation rate has reached the highest point in school history,” said Dennis Leblanc, executive associate athletic director for academics. “The Big Ten Conference owns some of the top graduation rates in the nation and Nebraska is honored to be associated with those other institutions.
“Our GSR score is a great accomplishment by our student-athletes and a testament to the academic staff, as well as our coaches who have recruited these men and women to come to the University of Nebraska. We are extremely excited about this accomplishment and look forward to continuing the graduation success of student-athletes for years to come.”
Nebraska has long been a national leader in academic and athletic achievement. The Huskers lead the nation in CoSIDA Academic All-Americans with 347 across all sports. Nebraska also leads the nation with 18 NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award winners.
Graduation success rate is an NCAA measurement that, unlike federally mandated graduation rates, includes transfer data. The rates released Dec. 2 are based on four classes of scholarship student-athletes who entered college from fall 2011 to fall 2014.
The measurement allows for a six-year window in which the student-athlete can earn a degree. The rate does not count student-athletes who transfer to another school and were academically eligible at that time.
