Northwestern Shines in Annual Graduation Success Rates

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern student-athletes continue to set a national standard in the classroom, according to new Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data released Tuesday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Northwestern’s overall 98% GSR is the top mark across all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institutions and leads the Big Ten Conference for the 18th consecutive year.

GSR Database

Northwestern’s overall 98% GSR matches the department’s and Big Ten’s all-time record and is the top mark in the Conference this year by two percentage points.

Northwestern has finished in the Top-4 among FBS athletics departments all 18 years that data has been reported, scoring 96%-or-higher annually. Thirteen Wildcats programs posted perfect 100 scores for the current cohort. The list includes men’s basketball for the first time, as well as baseball, cross country, field hockey, men’s soccer, men’s tennis, fencing, softball, women’s basketball, women’s golf, women’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball.

For the sixth consecutive year, Northwestern football earned the highest Graduation Success Rate among all FBS programs, posting a 97% mark for the current cohort. The Wildcats have ranked first or second in the country for GSR among FBS football programs for 12 straight years.

The NCAA developed the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) to more accurately assess the long-term academic success of student-athletes. The rate holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees and is calculated for every sport. Under the calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. The outgoing transfers are included in the receiving institution’s GSR cohort.