Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech Athletics continues to earn high marks academically as the department recorded an overall Graduation Success Rate of 92% in a report released by the NCAA, Wednesday afternoon.
The NCAA developed the formula for its Graduation Success Rate, or GSR, metric as part of its 2003 academic reform initiatives to better measure student-athlete academic success. It differs from the federal graduation rate in several ways, most notably by not penalizing schools that have transfers who depart in good academic standing and by counting transfers who enroll into a school in good academic standing. The GSR also takes into account the academic standing of mid-year enrollees, whereas the federal formula does not.
The NCAA's GSR metric allows student-athletes six years to earn their degrees. This year's rate is based on the average of student-athletes who enrolled in 2013, 2014, 2015 and the most recent data of 2016 and also graduated within six years following their enrollment.
For the eighth consecutive year, Virginia Tech's overall GSR was at least 90 percent, and the athletics department has been at or above that threshold in nine of the past 11 years.
Eight Virginia Tech sports recorded a perfect GSR of 100 – men's basketball, women's cross country/track and field, men's golf, women's golf, men's swimming and diving, softball, women's swimming and diving, and women's tennis. The Hokies' women's tennis program has recorded a 100 percent score ever since the NCAA went to the GSR formula, while the men's golf team extended its streak of perfect 100 percent scores to 15 consecutive years.
Six other Virginia Tech sports finished with a GSR of at least 90%. The list consists of baseball (93), men's cross country/track and field (90), women's basketball (93), lacrosse (97), women's soccer (95) and volleyball (90).
Tech's wrestling program came in at 88%, men's soccer at 80%, men's tennis at 80% and football at 78%.
For those interested in reading more about the NCAA and the latest GSR report, please click HERE.