Nov. 18, 2009

Twenty-one Boston College sports teams received a perfect Graduation Success Rate score of 100, according to data released by the NCAA today. That figure represents the most teams with a perfect 100 score of any intercollegiate Division I athletics program in the country.

In addition, BC football - with a score of 91 - was one of only six FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) programs in the country to receive a score of 90 or better.

"This is a tremendous accomplishment by our student-athletes," Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo said. "This represents many hours of hard work by them, their coaches, our Office of Learning Resources for Student-Athletes and others. We are unbelievably proud of our achievements in the classroom."

The 21 Boston College teams that recorded a perfect GSR score of 100 score included baseball, men's cross country/track, women's cross country/track, men's fencing, women's fencing, men's golf, women's golf, men's skiing, women's skiing, men's swimming, women's swimming, men's tennis, men's sailing, women's sailing, women's basketball, women's rowing, women's ice hockey, women's lacrosse, women's soccer, women's softball and women's volleyball.

The six FBS institutions that received scores of 90 or better were Duke (96), Notre Dame (96), Navy (93), Northwestern (92), BC (91) and Vanderbilt (91).

The NCAA developed the Graduation Success Rate as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes. The rate holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The Graduation Success Rate also accounts for midyear enrollees and is calculated for every sport.

The most recent Division I Graduation Success Rates are based on the four entering freshmen classes from 1999-2000 through 2002-03. This year marks the eighth year that Graduation Success Rate data have been collected. The NCAA began collecting GSR data with the entering freshman class of 1995. The latest entering class for which data are available is 2002.

More information about the GSR report may be found at the NCAA's website, www.ncaa.org.