The NCAA on Wednesday announced Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Federal Graduation Rate for the 2008-09 to 2011-12 freshman cohorts for all Division I institutions as part of the annual NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program.

This year’s Tennessee-specific data revealed an overall multi-year GSR of 86 percent—the highest in UT history. Tennessee’s single-year rate of 87 percent was bested only by last year’s record-setting 88 percent.

The latest GSR data release marks the fourth consecutive year in which Tennessee posted a multi-year rate of at least 80 percent. UT had never reached the 80-percent mark prior to this current, four-year streak. It is also the sixth straight year in which Tennessee’s multi-year GSR has improved.

“Another strong showing in the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate affirms the commitment our student-athletes have made toward earning their degrees,” Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer said. “It’s also a testament to the standards set by our coaches and to the outstanding support provided by our Thornton Center staff. Graduating our student-athletes is at the forefront of our mission as an athletic department, and I am pleased about the progress and improvement we continue to see in our graduation success rate.”

The GSR is calculated differently than the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR). The GSR allows institutions to add scholarship transfers that fit into their respective freshman cohorts and remove those students that choose to leave and are academically eligible according to NCAA Progress-Toward-Degree-Requirements.

Ten of UT’s 16 teams posted a perfect 100 percent GSR, and five teams—men’s tennis, women’s tennis, women’s golf, rowing and volleyball—posted a perfect multi-year GSR.

Eight teams set or matched their program-high multi-year GSR, including football, men’s basketball, baseball and the five aforementioned sports. In all, 10 teams increased or tied their multi-year rate from a year ago.

One of Tennessee Athletics’ key objectives is to graduate student-athletes and prepare them for real-world experiences. In 2001, the University of Tennessee opened the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center to provide student-athletes with superior academic support programs and personal and career development assistance.

Sport-Specific Highlights:

Baseball

• Highest GSR in program history at 85%
• Improved 10 percentage points over the previous year’s rate
• Fourth consecutive annual increase, with the rate improving 37 percentage points during that spand (48% in 2014 to 85% in 2018)

Men’s Basketball

• Matched the highest GSR in program history, set last year at 89%

Football

• Posted a single-year rate of 83%, second only to last year’s record-setting mark of 85%
• Record-high GSR for the program with a 74%
• Increase of nine percentage points from last year’s rate and up 16 total percentage points in the last two years

Men’s Basketball

• Four consecutive years at 100%, which stand as the only four perfect rates in the program

Rowing

• Five consecutive years at 100%
• Ninth time the program has earned a perfect 100%

Women’s Golf

• Four consecutive years at 100%

Women’s Tennis

• Third consecutive year at 100%
• 10th time the program has earned a perfect 100%

Women’s Track & Field

• Posted its fourth consecutive increase, reaching 95%, which is the program’s highest rate in seven years

Volleyball

• 12th consecutive year posting a perfect 100%

-UT Athletics