Iowa State University Athletics
Nine Cyclone Teams Post Big 12-Leading GSR Scores
12.02.2021 | Athletics
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University's most-recent 93 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) score was a school-record and the Big 12 Conference's second-highest mark according to the 2021 Division I academic performance metrics released today by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
"Iowa State's record-setting Graduation Success Rate scores reflect the commitment and determination of our student-athletes to academic excellence, as well as the support that they receive from our coaches and academic services team on a daily basis," said Iowa State Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard. "We are also appreciative of the key role Iowa State's faculty play in the academic growth and success of our student-athletes."
ISU's institutional GSR score has improved in each of the last seven years, and its 2021 mark of 93 percent established a school-record for the sixth-straight year, some four points higher than both the NCAA Division I and Big 12 averages. In addition, Iowa State's 98 percent GSR score for its female student-athletes tied for first among Big 12 institutions, while its male student-athlete GSR of 88 percent was third in the league.
Baylor's institutional GSR score of 94 percent led the Big 12, followed closely by Iowa State (93), Kansas State (92), Kansas (90), Oklahoma (89), Texas (89), TCU (87), West Virginia (86), Oklahoma State (85) and Texas Tech (83).
Nine Cyclone teams led the Big 12 Conference with perfect four-year GSR scores of 100 percent—men's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, gymnastics, women's soccer, women's swimming & diving, women's tennis and women's track & field/cross country. The ISU women's golf recorded a perfect GSR for the 16th-consecutive year, while gymnastics had its 13th-straght 100 percent performance, softball its fifth-straight such effort and men's basketball, soccer and men's golf each ran running their streaks of perfect scores to four-straight years.
ISU football produced a program-record GSR of 88 percent, some seven points higher than the FBS average, to rank third in the Big 12. It also marked the sixth time in the last seven years Cyclone football improved its year-over-year GSR.
GSR scores and Big 12 ranking for ISU's other athletics programs were: women's basketball (T-5th/93 percent), volleyball (T-8th/91), wrestling (5th/82) and men's track & field/cross country (8th/80).
In the annual student-athlete Federal Graduation Rates survey which was also released alongside the NCAA's GSR metrics, Iowa State's single-year rate of 69 percent led the Big 12 Conference, while its four-year 71 percent rate tied Texas for second, just behind Baylor's 73 percent.
The GSR was developed by the NCAA with the entering freshmen class of 1995 to more accurately assess student-athlete's academic performance. The rate holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for mid-year enrollees and is calculated for every sport.
Under the calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing students who leave in good academic standing. The outgoing transfers are included in the receiving institution's GSR cohort. The most recent Division I Graduation Success Rates are based on the four entering classes from 2011-14.
