
Michigan Ties School-Record Graduation Success Rate in NCAA Report
12/6/2023 1:00:00 PM | General, Academic Success Program
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan tied its school record for its Graduation Success Rate (GSR) as the NCAA released Wednesday (Dec. 5) the 2023 annual GSR and Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) reports for all NCAA Division I institutions.
With a four-year average GSR of 96 percent, Michigan tied its all-time record high report, which was set last year. The 96 percent mark is 15 percentage points higher than it was in 2010 and one point higher than it was in 2021. U-M's four-year rolling average FGR of 83 percent also tied an all-time high, set in 2022.
In addition, 15 of Michigan's 25 varsity athletic programs included in the report earned perfect GSR scores.
The NCAA also released its overall Division I national averages: the four-year GSR for all member schools is 90 percent.
Among the Big Ten Conference institutions, Michigan had the second-highest GSR (96) and FGR (83) scores. Northwestern led the conference with scores of 98 and 95, respectively.
Michigan's 14 varsity athletic programs with a 100 percent four-year Graduation Success Rate in the 2023 report are:
• Baseball
• Men's basketball
• Women's basketball
• Men's cross country & track & field
• Men's golf
• Women's golf
• Men's gymnastics
• Women's gymnastics
• Rowing
• Softball
• Men's swimming
• Men's Tennis
• Women's tennis
• Volleyball
• Wrestling
Michigan and Northwestern are the only Big Ten schools with perfect GSR marks in both men's and women's basketball.
Michigan football's GSR score of 89 ranks fourth in the Big Ten.
Since the NCAA began collecting GSR data with the entering freshman class of 1995, the U-M softball team has posted perfect 100 percent scores in each of the 19 annual reports. Women's golf has had perfect GSR scores the last 16 years, women's tennis for the last 14 years, and men's golf for the last 13 years.
Men's golf, men's gymnastics, softball and women's tennis all recorded perfect Federal Graduation Rate scores for a fourth consecutive year, while men's tennis also earned a perfect score in the FGR in 2022.
Both the GSR and FGR are based on the number of student-athletes on athletics aid enrolling in school each year. A number of variables may impact these figures, such as student-athletes who opt for professional or educational opportunities outside of their original institution, and student-athletes in good academic standing who choose to leave school early.
The FGR is mandated by the U.S. Government and reflects the number of scholarship student-athletes who enter an institution in a specific academic year and graduate from that same institution within six academic years. It does not factor in transfer students leaving or entering an institution; the FGR counts transfers as non-graduates and therefore is typically lower than the GSR.
The GSR accounts for students who transfer into an institution and does not penalize institutions that have student-athletes who choose to transfer out while still in good academic standing.