Elon Athletics leads CAA in NCAA Graduation Success Rate

Data recently released by the NCAA places Elon University again at the top of the Colonial Athletic Association when it comes to student-athletes receiving their diplomas.

The NCAA recently announced the 2019-20 Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Federal Graduation Rate data for Division I institutions as part of the annual NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program. Elon’s 2019-20 data features an overall single-year GSR of 97 percent, up one percentage point from the year before. Nine Phoenix programs earned a perfect 100 percent score. Those programs include:

• Men’s Basketball
• Men’s Cross Country
• Men’s Golf
• Women’s Basketball
• Women’s Track & Cross Country
• Women’s Golf
• Women’s Lacrosse
• Women’s Tennis
• Volleyball

Elon is one of two schools in the CAA that had every athletic program achieve a GSR of 85 percent or higher.

“I am continually proud of the success our student-athletes achieve both academically and athletically,” said Elon Director of Athletics Dave Blank. “They consistently strive to be the best they can be in and out of our competition venues. The 2020 Graduation Success Rate report shows the drive that Elon student-athletes possess to succeed in all areas. It is also a great testament to the invaluable mentorship and support our coaches, staff and faculty provide to our student-athletes daily.”

Other highlights include:

• The Elon football team’s 98-percent GSR is the highest in the Colonial Athletic Association. It also ranks 6th nationally among schools that compete in the Football Championship Subdivision.
• The Elon men’s basketball program earned a perfect GSR of 100 percent for the seventh consecutive year. Since joining the CAA in 2014-15, Elon is one of two schools to have had a 100 percent GSR every year.
• The Elon women’s basketball program was one of three CAA schools with a 100 percent GSR. Overall, this year marks the sixth straight year Elon women’s basketball has a GSR percentage of 90 or above. This year marks the fourth time since 2007-08 that Elon had a 100 percent GSR.
• Elon baseball’s 97 percent GSR leads the conference and marks the fourth consecutive year above 90 percent.
• The first class in the women’s lacrosse program history earned a perfect 100 percent GSR.
• This marks the eleventh straight year Elon women’s golf recorded a 100 percent GSR. The team has had a GSR of 90 or above for 14 consecutive years.
• Women’s soccer recorded a 97 percent GSR this year. Since 2005, the Elon women’s soccer program has recorded a GSR of 93 or higher every year, including a perfect 100 percent on six occasions.
• Women’s tennis earned a perfect 100 percent GSR in the latest report, marking the sixth-straight year the program earned a 100 percent.
• The Elon men’s cross country and women’s cross country and track and field programs each earned perfect 100 percent scores in the latest report. It marks the sixth-straight year the men’s program has earned a 100 percent. The women’s team has now been above 95 percent in every GSR release to date.
• Men’s golf earned a perfect 100 percent GSR in the latest report, marking the program’s second consecutive year they earned a 100 percent.
• Women’s volleyball recorded a perfect 100 percent GSR. This year marks the eleventh year since 2005 that the program has recorded a perfect score.

The GSR measures graduation rates of scholarship student-athletes at Division I institutions. It includes those transferring into the institutions. The GSR also allows institutions to subtract student-athletes who leave their institutions before graduation, as long as they would have been academically eligible to compete had they remained. The 2019-20 rates are based on the entering classes from 2010 to 2013.

The NCAA’s GSR was developed in response to college and university presidents’ mandate for graduation data that more accurately reflect today’s college students’ mobility. Both rates improve on the federally mandated graduation rate by including students omitted from the federal calculation.