Press Release from University of Louisville S.I.D. Kenny Klein:
Success in academics for the University of Louisville student-athletes continues at a high level, reflected in recent national graduation rates released by the NCAA.
U of L student-athletes achieved an 81 percent graduation rate in the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) Report, which was developed 10 years ago to account for transfers into the university who graduate and those who leave in good academic standing. The Cardinals’ GSR, most recently reported for freshmen who entered in the 2006-07 academic year, has risen 15 percent since the reporting began nine years ago. Six sports — women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming, and men’s tennis — attained a 100 percent GSR in the most recent report.
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Over the last 10 years, graduation rates for U of L student-athletes have risen 13 percent, improving from 48 percent for the freshman class which entered U of L in 1997-98 to a 61 percent graduation rate in the most recent 2006-07 figures. U of L student-athletes graduate at a nine percent higher rate than the overall university student population in the 2006-07 four-class average.
“I’m pleased with the progress we have continued to make over the years,” said Tom Jurich, U of L Vice-President for Athletics. “It’s a significant upward trend for both our athletic department and our university as a whole, particularly when considering where our figures were 10 years ago and where we are today. Our coaches continue to recruit impressive student-athletes to our campus, our academic support staff is committed to aiding them and our student-athletes have obviously made their own personal commitments to achieve in the classroom. We’re proud with our continued improvement and will strive to maintain that advancement.”
A total of 350 student athletes achieved a 3.0 or higher grade point average in the most recently completed Spring 2013 semester. All UofL student athletes combined to produce a record 3.124 GPA for the 2012-13 academic year. U of L’s men’s basketball team earned the last three BIG EAST Conference Team Academic Excellence Awards, which recognizes the highest collective grade point averages in each of the conference’s 23 sports.
