DeKALB, Ill. – Eight Northern Illinois University athletics programs earned a perfect 100 percent Graduation Success Rate and 10 Huskie teams posted a GSR that ranked above the national average for their sport according to the GSR Report released Tuesday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). GSR is the academic assessment tool used by the NCAA to measure a school's ability to graduate student-athletes.
 
NIU's overall GSR of 87 percent for freshmen who entered school between 2010-11 and 2013-14 continues a string of seven straight years when the Huskies' GSR has averaged between 86-89 percent.
 
"To have this kind of sustained success in one of the most important metrics of academic success shows the commitment that our entire department has to graduating student-athletes," said NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier. "Our student-athletes are to be commended, as well as the coaches and staff, especially those in our Student-Athlete Academic Support Services (SAASS) unit. 
 
"I also want to thank our donors. Their support enables us to provide NIU student-athletes with the resources needed to succeed academically as well as athletically."
 
The Huskie gymnastics team achieved a 100 percent GSR for the 13th consecutive season, the NIU women's golf team had a 100 percent GSR for the 12th consecutive year while the Huskie women's soccer and volleyball programs each both met the 100 percent mark for the seventh straight year. Women's basketball earned its third straight perfect score, while men's tennis and men's golf have posted back-to- back 100 percent years.  Women's tennis saw its GSR improve by 11 points to reach 100 percent for the first time in five years and the eighth time overall.
 
In addition to women's tennis, softball and women's cross country/track & field saw their graduation success rates improve from a year ago.  Overall, 96 percent of women student-athletes who entered Northern Illinois University between 2010-11 and 2013-14 have earned their degrees.
 
The Huskie football team's GSR of 84 percent for the 2013 cohort is five points above the national average for football and four points higher than the FBS average. NIU Football's Graduation Success Rate has topped 83 percent for nine straight years.
 
The most accurate measure of a school's ability to graduate student-athletes, the GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students and accounts for mid-year enrollees, unlike the federal graduation rate.
Universities are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing, while incoming transfer students and midyear enrollees are included in the calculation.
 
-- NIU --