Razorbacks Earn Program-Record Graduation Success Rate

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For the second straight year, University of Arkansas student-athletes have combined to earn the top graduation success rate (GSR) in the history of the Razorback program according to a report released this week by the NCAA. Razorback student-athletes that entered school in 2015 earned a GSR of 87 percent, the highest GSR in school history, besting the previous program record of 85 percent accomplished in the previous two years.

The latest GSR marked the 14th-consecutive rate of more than 70 percent by Razorback student-athletes. It marks the seventh-consecutive year that the GSR has been 78 percent or higher with this year’s GSR ranking reaching 80 percent or better for the fifth time.

The GSR was developed as an improved measurement tool for tracking student-athletes’ academic progress leading toward graduation. The University of Arkansas has steadily improved its GSR rate since the measurement was implemented by the NCAA 18 years ago rising from an initial rate of 60 percent to a record 87 percent in the numbers released this week.

In 2021-22, Razorback student-athletes posted a program-record 3.27 Grade Point Average (GPA) and 98 percent of Razorback student-athletes who exhausted their athletics eligibility earned their degree. A total of 97 Razorback student-athletes paved their names onto Senior Walk as graduates of the University of Arkansas.

“Once again, Razorback student-athletes have demonstrated that academic achievement can be coupled with athletics success,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. “Even as we have recorded the two most successful years in our athletics success, our student-athletes recorded a record GPA and earned a program-best graduation success rate. I am appreciative of the hard work of our student-athletes and am thankful for the dedicated efforts of our coaches, academic support team and all those who have invested in our mission of Building Champions and Razorbacks for Life.”

In addition to the GSR, the NCAA established the Academic Progress Rate (APR) that provides institutions with a more real-time indicator of academic success. In the most recent APR release last spring, Arkansas exceeded the APR benchmark in all 19 sports for the ninth consecutive time including each sport exceeding the benchmark by at least 25 points. The program earned a 982.1 APR average across all sports, marking the 10th straight listing the program average exceeded 970.

Razorback Athletics Graduation Success Rates

Year Cohort GSR
2005 1998 60
2006 1999 64
2007 2000 66
2008 2001 68
2009 2002 70
2010 2003 72
2011 2004 73
2012 2005 72
2013 2006 74
2014 2007 76
2015 2008 76
2016 2009 78
2017 2010 80
2018 2011 79
2019 2012 84
2020 2013 85
2021 2014 85
2022 2015 87