UK Athletics Breaks Graduation Records Yet Again

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 15, 2018) — Wildcat student-athletes continue to set new standards for achievement in the classroom. University of Kentucky student-athletes broke school records for graduation rates in an annual report released Wednesday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

“The academic success of our student-athletes — especially their progress toward graduation — is a core part of our mission as an athletics department,” Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said. “I am proud of how seriously our student-athletes take the opportunity they have to pursue a world-class education at UK and thankful for the support our coaches, staff, and CATS counselors and tutors provide in that pursuit. Education is so important to success in life after college, which is our goal for every student-athlete.”

The NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR), a four-year composite statistic for the freshman classes of 2008-09 through 2011-12, was 88 percent. That tops the previous school record of 85 percent set last season, continuing UK Athletics’ streak of breaking or tying the mark every year since the NCAA began tracking the statistic in 2005.

“Excellence is a way of life, and it translates across the dimensions of student-athlete development,” Executive Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Experience Jason Cummins said. “Just as our teams pursue continuous improvement within their competitive arenas, we strive to demonstrate that same commitment in the classroom. I’m extremely proud of our students, who diligently invest their time and energy into their studies, as well as our academic counselors, tutors and staff, who epitomize the quiet professionals coaching, teaching and mentoring our students daily."

The GSR includes all scholarship athletes. Athletes who transfer in good standing do not count against the school's GSR. Schools also are allowed to count incoming transfers and January enrollees who subsequently graduate.

Here are UK Athletics’ GSR scores in the 14-year history of the measure.

Year                     NCAA GSR 2018                    88 percent

2017                    85

2016                    82 

2015                    81

2014                    81 

2013                    79

2012                    79

2011                    77

2010                    74

2009                    73

2008                    73

2007                    71

2006                    71

2005                    68

The Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) is also a four-year composite statistic for freshman classes from 2008-09 through 2011-12. UK’s latest FGR mark is 61 percent, besting the previous record of 59 percent set in four of the previous five years. Data for this statistic is available since 1991.

In the FGR, student-athletes who transfer count as non-graduates, regardless of their academic standing or subsequent graduation from another institution. Incoming transfer students, from junior college or four-year schools, who graduate at UK are not counted as graduates. These factors account for the difference between the FGR and the NCAA GSR.

Record graduation rates are one of many examples of the academic success of UK Athletics and its nearly 500 student-athletes. The athletics department is in the midst of a streak of 12 consecutive semesters reaching its goal of a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0. Moreover, nearly 100 Wildcats graduated from UK during the 2017-18 academic year alone.