General

ACC Schools Post Another Strong GSR Showing

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) –­­­­­­­ The Atlantic Coast Conference’s presence in the forefront of academic success was demonstrated once again in the latest NCAA Graduation Success Rates (GSR) Report released Wednesday.

ACC institutions again topped the rankings among their peer conferences with an average graduation rate of 91 percent, equaling the collective GSR report of one year ago.

Key notes for the ACC in comparison to peer conferences:
  • The ACC led all conferences with 12 member institutions achieving total department GSR scores higher than the national average.
  • Ten ACC teams achieved GSR scores of 100 in the sports of football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball.
  • Ten ACC football teams earned higher than the FBS football GSR average, second-most among Power 5 Conferences.
  • In the sport of football, the ACC remains the only conference to have multiple teams register GSR scores of 90 or higher every year since 2005. Duke (96) and Virginia Tech (90) reached that plateau this year.
  • Eight ACC men’s basketball teams earned higher than the Division I basketball GSR average, tying for second-most among Power 5 leagues. Clemson, Duke, Notre Dame and Pitt posted GSR scores of 100.
  • Eleven ACC women’s basketball teams earned higher than the Division I women’s basketball GSR average, second-most among Power 5 conferences.
  • This marks the 11th straight year that the ACC has had at least four women’s basketball programs score 100, making it the only peer conference to do so. Five ACC teams – Florida State, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest – hit the century mark in the latest report.
  • Nine ACC baseball teams earned higher than the Division I GSR baseball average, tying for the most among Power 5 conferences. Clemson registered a 100 GSR.
Wednesday’s report is based on information obtained from the 2018 NCAA Graduation-Rates Report. The report provides graduation information for students and student-athletes who entered in Fall 2010. This is the most recent graduating class for which the required six years of information is available.  A graduation rate (percent) is based on a comparison of the number of students who entered a college or university and the number of those who graduated within six years. For example, if 100 students entered and 60 graduated, the graduation rate is 60 percent.  The four-class average includes those who entered as freshmen in 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. 

It should be noted that graduation rates are affected by a number of factors: some students transfer to another college, some may be dismissed for academic deficiencies, some may have to work part-time and need more than six years to graduate.

The Graduation Success Rate (GSR) subtracts students from the entering cohort who are considered allowable exclusions (those who either die or become personally disabled, those who leave school to join the armed forces, foreign services or attend a church mission) as well as those who would have been academically eligible to compete had they returned to the institution.