University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Establishes New Record for Single-Year Graduation Success Rate
November 22, 2024 | General, Tennessee Tailored
Vols and Lady Vols continue to excel academically
Tennessee student-athletes continue to achieve record Graduation Success Rates (GSR), according to the latest NCAA report.
The NCAA recently released Graduation Success Rate and Federal Graduation Rate data for all Division I institutions, covering the freshman cohorts from 2014-15 to 2017-18, as part of the annual NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program.
The collective multi-year GSR for Tennessee's female student-athletes is 98 percent, which ties for the highest mark in Lady Vols history. UT's student-athletes tied the school's second-highest multi-year GSR rate at 93 percent.
In sport-specific data, ten programs set or tied their highest-ever multi-year GSR. Additionally, ten sports achieved a perfect multi-year GSR of 100 percent, including baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, softball, women's swimming and diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, and women's track and field/cross country.
Tennessee's single-year (2017 cohort) GSR of 95 percent marked the best in school history, with 15 sports posting a single-year GSR of 100 percent. Notably, the collective score for female student-athletes reached 100 percent, representing their best single-year performance in the university's history.
"Our student-athletes compete in the classroom!" Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White said. "I'm proud of our continued academic success, culminating in the ultimate goal - graduating with a world-class degree. Tennessee men and women are truly Vols For Life!"
The GSR is calculated differently than the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR). The GSR allows institutions to include scholarship transfers who fit into their respective freshman cohorts while excluding students who leave voluntarily but remain academically eligible according to NCAA Progress-Toward-Degree Requirements.
"These single-year numbers are staggering but not surprising as the standard of excellence is at an all-time high on Rocky Top," Deputy Athletics Director & Associate Provost Marshall Steward said. "Success, on the court and in the classroom, is a reflection of investment, and our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are relentlessly committed to leading the way in all aspects of college sports."
In 2001, the University of Tennessee opened the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center to provide student-athletes with superior academic support programs and personal and career development assistance. In May 2022, Tennessee Athletics published "Rise Glorious," an ambitious five-year strategic plan. The first of the plan's six core values is "Academic Excellence."
Educational achievement is also highlighted in Tennessee Athletics' vision statement: Deliver an unparalleled student-athlete experience fueled by the relentless pursuit of comprehensive excellence; be bold and innovative in our approach to recruiting and developing well-rounded graduates, championship-driven competitors and world-changing leaders.
The NCAA recently released Graduation Success Rate and Federal Graduation Rate data for all Division I institutions, covering the freshman cohorts from 2014-15 to 2017-18, as part of the annual NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program.
The collective multi-year GSR for Tennessee's female student-athletes is 98 percent, which ties for the highest mark in Lady Vols history. UT's student-athletes tied the school's second-highest multi-year GSR rate at 93 percent.
In sport-specific data, ten programs set or tied their highest-ever multi-year GSR. Additionally, ten sports achieved a perfect multi-year GSR of 100 percent, including baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, softball, women's swimming and diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, and women's track and field/cross country.
Tennessee's single-year (2017 cohort) GSR of 95 percent marked the best in school history, with 15 sports posting a single-year GSR of 100 percent. Notably, the collective score for female student-athletes reached 100 percent, representing their best single-year performance in the university's history.
"Our student-athletes compete in the classroom!" Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White said. "I'm proud of our continued academic success, culminating in the ultimate goal - graduating with a world-class degree. Tennessee men and women are truly Vols For Life!"
The GSR is calculated differently than the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR). The GSR allows institutions to include scholarship transfers who fit into their respective freshman cohorts while excluding students who leave voluntarily but remain academically eligible according to NCAA Progress-Toward-Degree Requirements.
"These single-year numbers are staggering but not surprising as the standard of excellence is at an all-time high on Rocky Top," Deputy Athletics Director & Associate Provost Marshall Steward said. "Success, on the court and in the classroom, is a reflection of investment, and our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are relentlessly committed to leading the way in all aspects of college sports."
In 2001, the University of Tennessee opened the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center to provide student-athletes with superior academic support programs and personal and career development assistance. In May 2022, Tennessee Athletics published "Rise Glorious," an ambitious five-year strategic plan. The first of the plan's six core values is "Academic Excellence."
Educational achievement is also highlighted in Tennessee Athletics' vision statement: Deliver an unparalleled student-athlete experience fueled by the relentless pursuit of comprehensive excellence; be bold and innovative in our approach to recruiting and developing well-rounded graduates, championship-driven competitors and world-changing leaders.
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