INDIANAPOLIS – Gonzaga student-athletes are graduating at a rate of 98 percent according to the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) numbers released by the NCAA on Tuesday, including 10 GU teams that achieved a 100 percent graduation rate.
 
Overall, GU's 98 percent graduation rate is tied for the second-best in the nation. Columbia, Dartmouth, Evansville, Harvard, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Loyola Chicago, Samford and Yale all had a 99 percent graduation rate. GU is tied with eight others at 98 percent, including Duke, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Princeton, Seton Hall, and others.
 
"The dedication and effort put forth by our student-athletes to earn their degrees continues to be impressive," Director of Athletics Mike Roth said. "Our student-athletes have achieved at a high level in the classroom, in competition and in the community. The Gonzaga faculty, coaches and academic support staff have done a great job of supporting our student-athletes and helping them be successful."
 
For comparison, the Federal Graduation Rate is 69 percent and the NCAA GSR average is 90 percent, while the West Coast Conference average is at 91 percent. Gonzaga has the highest GSR in the league, followed by Loyola Marymount at 95 percent.
 
Ten Gonzaga squads achieved perfect 100-percent GSR scores, including women's basketball for the fifth straight year and men's basketball for the fourth straight year. GU women's cross country and track and field and women's golf each had a perfect 100-percent GSR for the 16th straight year, while men's cross country and track and field (13 straight), men's tennis (12 straight), men's soccer (11 straight), women's soccer (10 straight, 12th time overall), and men's golf (nine straight) all extended their impressive streaks of 100-percent GSR scores. Women's rowing had a perfect 100-percent GSR for the ninth time in program history.
 
Eleven of GU's 13 countable programs finished above the national average in their respective sports. Nine of those teams finished at least five percentage points better.
 
According to the NCAA, the Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in 2002 in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students beyond what the federal graduation rate measures. The federal rate counts as an academic failure any student who leaves a school, no matter whether he or she enrolls at another school. Also, the federal rate does not recognize students who enter school as transfer students. The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere. This calculation provides a more accurate appraisal of student-athlete success.