DETROIT (11/8/2017) -- The University of Detroit Mercy Department of Athletics received high praise today as the Titan student-athletes academic success was displayed in the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) released by the NCAA.
For the 13th-straight year, Detroit Mercy ranked among the top-five in the state – second overall - with a GSR of 90-percent, up from the 82-percent recorded in last year's report. The 90-percent mark trailed only Michigan's 91-percent. The 90-percent GSR was also tied for second in the Horizon League.
The Graduation Rates Institution Report gives graduation information about the most recent six- year graduating class of students and student-athletes who entered as freshmen in 2010-11.
The Titans also had four teams with a perfect 100-percent score as well as nine programs who exceeded the national average.
Detroit Mercy student-athletes in women's golf, women's lacrosse, women's tennis and men's tennis achieved perfect graduation success rates, while the rates for men's cross country and track and field (96-percent), softball (94-percent), women's basketball (93-percent), men's soccer (88-percent) and men's basketball (83-percent) were all above the national average.
Three other programs were just below the national GSR average, but had rates higher than 80-percent in men's golf (86-percent, national average at 87-percent), women's cross country and track and field (87-percent, national average at 88-percent) and women's soccer (90-percent, national average at 93-percent).
For the Federal Graduation Rate, Detroit Mercy ranked third in the state at 70-percent, up from 64-percent in last year's data release. The Titans trailed only Michigan's 81-percent and Michigan State's 71-percent. Detroit Mercy was also tied for second in the Horizon League in that report.
Five programs were above the national average in men's cross country and track and field (88 percent), women's lacrosse (81 percent), men's soccer (79 percent), men's fencing (75-percent) and men's golf (75-percent).
Overall, Division I student-athletes in nearly all sports and demographics improved their graduation rates, most notably a 3-percentage point increase for African-Americans in all sports, which contributed to a record- high 87-percent Graduation Success Rate.
"Student-athletes are reaching their academic goals and earning degrees at record rates," NCAA President Mark Emmert said. "The dramatic improvement in the graduation rate for African-American student-athletes in all sports is a significant achievement, and our student-athletes and member schools should be proud of the work they are doing. The goal of all the NCAA's academic policies and programs is to prepare students for life after college, and graduation is integral to this success."
The GSR and federal rate calculations measure graduation over six years from first-time college enrollment.
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 rate also allows for a deeper understanding of graduation success in individual sports than the federal metric, which provides only broad groupings.
The federal graduation rate, however, remains the only measure to compare student-athletes with the general student body. Using this measure, student-athletes graduate at a rate 2 percentage points higher than the general student body — 68-percent compared with 66-percent.
