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University of Oregon Athletics

Jaqua at night
Photo by: GoDucks.com

Ducks Graduating At Record Rate

10/16/19 | General

Oregon's graduation success rate for student-athletes who enrolled between 2009-12 was 86 percent, an all-time high.

A year after achieving the highest Graduation Success Rate since data began being compiled, University of Oregon student-athletes raised the bar again.

Freshmen and transfers who enrolled at Oregon between 2009-12 and received athletics aid achieved degrees within six years at a rate of 86 percent, according to data released Wednesday by the NCAA. This is the ninth year in a row that the Ducks' GSR has been above 80 percent, and 86 percent is a three-point jump over the previous school record set just last year.

Graduation Success Rate is a rolling four-year average for freshmen and transfers. In recent years, the data has reflected the impact of the John E. Jaqua Academic Center for Student-Athletes, which opened in January 2010, and the prioritization of academic success under the leadership of Rob Mullens, who was named director of athletics in the summer of 2010.

"The academic success of our student-athletes is our highest priority, and they continue to set a new standard of excellence in the classroom," said Mullens. "Our mission of providing a first-class student-athlete experience includes the commitment of substantial resources toward continuing this high level of academic achievement, including our excellent staff at the Jaqua Center. We are proud of our student-athletes for achieving the highest-ever Graduation Success Rate in Oregon history and look forward to their continued accomplishments academically and athletically."

Student-athletes who enrolled between 2009-12 and went on to exhaust their athletics eligibility graduated at an even higher rate, 93 percent.

Oregon's men's and women's tennis teams have recorded a perfect GSR of 100 three years in a row. The women's golf team has done it in back-to-back years, and those three programs are joined this year by the UO women's lacrosse and men's golf programs, which also scored 100.

Earlier this year, the women's golf and men's tennis programs also were honored for posting perfect scores in a different measure of success in the classroom, the Academic Progress Rate. APR measures not only graduation but also eligibility and retention.

Of the Ducks' 14 NCAA programs — cross country is grouped with indoor and outdoor track — the Ducks registered a Graduation Success Rate of 80 percent or higher in 11, one more than a year ago. That doesn't include acrobatics and tumbling, which is not yet sponsored by the NCAA but had a GSR of 92, one of Oregon's 10 programs at 90 or above.

The NCAA on Wednesday also released federal graduation rates for student-athletes who enrolled between 2009-10 and 2012-13 as freshmen and graduated within six years. Oregon's four-class average remained at 66 percent, while the rate for all UO students rose to 72 percent.