AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn Athletics equaled its highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in program history, matching last year’s 94 percent rate, the NCAA announced.
“This outstanding Graduation Success Rate speaks to the commitment of Auburn student-athletes and their families, along with the diligence of Auburn’s academic support services staff and coaching staffs,” athletics director John Cohen said. “We commend these Auburn student-athletes for their discipline and tenacity, in the classroom and in competition.”
Figures released Nov. 20 reflect graduation numbers among student-athletes who entered college during the 2017-18 academic year.
Auburn’s 94 percent GSR ranks tied for third in the Southeastern Conference.
Division I student-athletes are graduating at record rates. The overall single-cohort rate increased by one point to 91 percent, which is the highest rate recorded.
The NCAA has tracked GSR for more than two decades, and student-athletes have surpassed the original benchmark goal of 80 percent with long-term graduation rate increases being observed year after year from an overall 74 percent in 2002 to the record of 91 percent in each of the past two years.
ABOUT THE GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE: The GSR begins with the federal cohort, and adds transfer students, mid-year enrollees, and non-scholarship students (in specified cases) to the sample. Student-athletes who leave an institution while in good academic standing before exhausting athletics eligibility are removed from the cohort of their initial institution. This 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. While student-athlete graduation success continues to rise, additional flexibility in rules governing competition after transfer, implemented in 2021, could impact graduation rates in the future.