NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State student-athletes have enjoyed a long history of success in the classroom, and the NCAA's recent Graduate Success Rate (GSR) study re-emphasized those accomplishments in record fashion.
 
The GSR data released in mid-November saw the 2013 freshman cohort of NSU student-athletes produce the highest mark in school history (89 percent), which tied them for first in the Southland Conference.
 
NSU shared the top spot in the conference with Houston Baptist while only Tulane (93) had a higher mark among Louisiana's 12 Division I institutions. Northwestern State and LSU each had marks of 89 and shared the No. 2 ranking in the state for the second straight cohort.
 
The 35-percent difference between NSU's mark and the federal graduation success rate also marked the highest for Northwestern State since the metrics were introduced in 2004-05.
 
"There is much credit to go around for the continued upward trajectory of NSU's Graduation Success Rate," said Director of Athletics Greg Burke. "First and foremost, NSU student-athletes who first set foot on campus in 2014 accomplished what was most important and that was to earn a degree. They received tremendous support from their coaches, faculty and the athletic department academic and compliance staffs. That's how records are set and broken."
 
The Lady Demon softball program ranked first in the state and shared the Southland lead with a 100 score while tennis and volleyball's twin 100 marks gave them the share of the Louisiana and Southland leads.
 
NSU soccer's 100 mark gave the Lady Demons a fourth program that tied for the Southland lead in its respective sport.
 
NSU's football team posted an 82-percent GSR, ranking second in the conference and third in the state, while women's basketball (92) tied for second in the state.  
 
The Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students than the federal graduation rate. The federal rate counts any student who leaves a school as an academic failure, no matter whether he or she enrolls at another school. Also, the federal rate does not recognize students who enter school as transfer students.
 
The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere. This calculation makes it a more complete and accurate look at student-athlete success. The federal graduation rate, however, remains the only measure to compare student-athletes with the general student body.