INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Lobo student-athletes tied a program record with an 80% Graduation Success Rate, equaling the mark set last year. This year’s 80% rate is for the 2010-11 cohort and was released on Wednesday by the NCAA for all Division I schools. UNM’s mark of 92% for female student-athletes was also a program high, besting the 91% from last year. The mark of 71% for male student-athletes marks the third straight year of at least a 70% rate. That data was released earlier this month by the NCAA, which release its official graduation success rate data.
“We consider the education and graduation of our student-athletes at The University of New Mexico to be highest priority” — UNM A.D. @enunez15
UNM once again gets high marks in the NCAA’s GSR data #GoLobos https://t.co/2Q5IZCXne6 pic.twitter.com/q2eAPeM6Oz
— New Mexico Lobos (@UNMLOBOS) November 30, 2017
New Mexico was one of six Mountain West institutions to record at least an 80% GSR in each of the last two years, joining Boise State, Colorado State, Air Force, Utah State and Wyoming. Only Utah State had a higher rate for female student-athletes than UNM’s 92% rate.
The Graduation Success Rate, along with the Academic Progress Rate or APR, was a part of former NCAA President Myles Brand’s initiative to raise the academic standards and profiles for Division I institutions. The 80% UNM GSR is the eighth straight year that the university has scored a 74% or better; the school scored a 76% in 2010, 74% in 2011, a 75% in 2012, a 74% in 2013, a 76% in 2014, a 79% in 2015 and an 80% last year.
The federal graduation rate differs slightly from the NCAA’s graduation success rate. The federal rate is the percentage of first-time, full-time freshmen that graduate from the institution within six years. The NCAA graduation success rate factors in transfer students, whether transferring into the institution or out in good academic standing.
“We consider the education and graduation of our student-athletes at The University of New Mexico to be highest priority,” said Eddie Nunez, UNM’s Athletic Director. “It is one of the strongest standards by which we measure success.”