Iowa State University Athletics
Cyclones Excel In The Classroom
11.14.2018 | Athletics, Academic Services
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State student-athletes are performing in the classroom at levels that are record-setting for the school, near the top of the Big 12 Conference and trending significantly upwards in multiple sports.
The NCAA released Graduation Success Rates (GSR) and Federal Graduation Rates (FGR) Wednesday. The data is based upon the 2011 cohort (freshmen who entered ISU on aid in 2011).
Iowa State registered its best-ever GSR (an NCAA metric that does not penalize schools for student-athletes who transfer eligible) with a mark of 88%. That figure is tied for second in the Big 12 and marks the fourth consecutive year that the institution's GSR improved.
"This data confirms the hard work and dedication that our student-athletes have put forward in regards to their academic pursuits," Senior Associate Athletics Director Dr. Charles Small said. "We are thrilled to establish some new record highs, rank highly among our peers and demonstrate significant improvement in several sports and key groups. Our student-athletes and coaches and the academic support teams all share in these achievements."
Seven sports – men's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball and volleyball – had perfect GSRs of 100% this year. The women's golfers have recorded a perfect GSR for 14 consecutive years (the measure was introduced in 2005). Twelve of 14 Cyclone teams improved or maintained their GSRs from last year.
The Iowa State football team improved its GSR by 5% for the second year in a row and moved into second place among Big 12 schools at 82%. The men's basketball team increased its GSR 22% to a perfect score of 100%. Those two teams ranked 10th and ninth in the Big 12 in 2014.
"It is especially gratifying to see the progress made by the football and men's basketball teams," Small said. "Both Coach (Matt) Campbell and Coach (Steve) Prohm have prioritized academic success as key pillars of their programs and the student-athletes should be commended for the gains."
The Cyclones' single-year FGR of 74% was second-best in the Big 12, two percentage points shy of the top spot. The national Division I average for single-year FGR was 68%. Iowa State undergrads recorded a 74% federal graduation rate, same as the student-athlete mark.
Two other measures furthered showcased Iowa State's classroom success.
The school's four-year FGR of 70% was tied for first in the league, five spots higher than a year ago and the GSR for student-athletes who exhausted their eligibility was 98% (64 of 65 students who exhausted their eligibility at ISU graduated).
