Miami University Athletes' Graduation Rates Soar Above National Average
11/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 18, 2009
November 18, 2009
OXFORD, Ohio--The graduation success of Miami University's student-athletes continued its recent trend of excellence, placing well above the national rate according to the latest Federal Graduation Rates (FGR) report.
The recent FGR figures show that 82 percent of Miami's student-athletes who began college in 2002-03 graduated within the six years permitted by the formula. That is 18 percent better than the national student-athlete graduation rate of 64 percent. Only student-athletes receiving athletics aid are included in the NCAA's reports.
"With our teams having claimed a school-record seven championships last season, the defense of our second-consecutive Jacoby All-Sports championship and our ice hockey team being ranked No. 1 in the nation for the past seven weeks, the report of this graduation success underscores the objectives that we set out to achieve toward a Culture of Champions," said Director of Athletics Brad Bates. "We are very proud that Miami University's student-athletes excel at a consistently high level both athletically and intellectually."
The Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for Miami University is even more impressive at 88 percent. The GSR takes into account students who transferred into the institution and have left the school in good academic standing.
A six-year history of Miami University's graduate success rate shows that the general student body has remained steady at 81 percent for that period, one percent lower than Miami's student-athletes. Miami's entire student body ranks among the upper echelon of the nation's public institutions of higher learning.
Four Miami University teams had a perfect 100-percent graduation success rate for those who began college in the 2002-03 school year. They include the men's golf team, as well as the women's basketball, swimming and diving and tennis teams. Eight other RedHawk sports teams have a GSR rate of 85 percent or higher, including football (85%), men's swimming (86%),men's cross country and track (86%), field hockey (87%), volleyball (89%), women's cross country and track (93%), synchronized skating (94%) and women's soccer (95%).
"With top-notch professors, support services and disciplined student-athletes, the results of this report are what we should always anticipate," said Maria Fantanarosa, head coach of the women's basketball team. "Our expectations are high on the court as well as in the classroom. Our student-athletes chose Miami because they want to be challenged every day."
Breaking down the GSR by gender illustrates that Miami's most recent female student-athletes graduated at a rate of 94 percent, with men graduating at 82 percent. The gender comparisons for Miami's general student graduates showed that MU women graduated at 82 percent and men graduated at 78 percent.
--MURedHawks.com--
