Owl athletes among nation’s best in the classroom

Rice’s women student athletes tied for the national lead in one set of the most recent Division I graduation success data released by the NCAA, and seven Owls teams received perfect marks in the classroom.

Rice’s women tied Stanford University for the top spot among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) athletic programs with a 97% Federal Graduation Rate, which measures the performance of all student athletes who entered college between 2009 and 2012. The Owls were second last year at 96%.

The NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate (GSR), which reflects the six-year graduation rates for student athletes who entered school in 2012, showed Rice’s women’s basketball, men’s cross country and track, golf, soccer, swimming, women’s tennis and volleyball teams each achieved 100% graduation.

“We’re incredibly proud of our student athletes at Rice, of both what they achieve in the classrooms and other education venues, and what they achieve on the fields, courts, courses, tracks and pools,” Rice President David Leebron said. “It is not surprising they are among the best in the nation when it comes to completing their education. Their achievements reflect our and their values, and these include getting the education that maximizes their life opportunities.”

“The academic success of our student athletes is a direct result of their focus, hard work and dedication,” Rice Athletics Director Joe Karlgaard said. “In addition, our coaches have done an outstanding job identifying and supporting these talented student athletes who embrace the challenge of competing both in the classroom and in athletics. The success of our women’s programs in particular gives clear evidence that Rice is an elite destination for anyone who is driven to achieve in all aspects of their college experience.”

The Federal Graduation Rate is the only measure to compare student athletes with the general student body. Rice’s student athletes tied for fifth nationally in the latest data — up from eighth in 2018 — while the general student body tied for sixth.

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in response to college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students than the federal graduation rate did.

The federal rate counts as an academic failure any student who leaves a school, no matter whether he or she enrolls at another school, and does not recognize students who enter school as transfer students. The GSR formula excludes student athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes those who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere, providing a more accurate look at student athlete success.

Rice tied for fifth in the nation among FBS athletic departments with an overall Fed Rate of 82% and tied for eighth with a combined GSR of 94%. Rice’s female student athletes were third nationally with a GSR score of 99%, and the Owls posted the seventh-highest federal rate among African American students (75%). Each of those figures led Conference USA and all FBS programs in Texas.