Ranked No. 54 in the 2013 edition of “Best Colleges,” Pepperdine University is no stranger to academic success. Several universities are known for their academic success while others are known for their incredible athletic ability. Very few, however, can boast both academic and athletic recognition.
The most recent Graduation Success Rate published by the NCAA ranked Pepperdine No. 2 in the West Coast Conference. Men’s cross country, men’s tennis, men’s volleyball, women’s cross country/track, women’s golf, women’s soccer and women’s tennis all received a 100 percent success rate for student-athletes. Women’s basketball, women’s swimming and diving and women’s volleyball did not receive a perfect score, but still ranked above 90 percent.
The Graduation Success Rate is defined on the NCAA official website as, “a six-year proportion of those student-athletes who graduated versus those who entered an institution on institutional aid.” Each year, the NCAA releases new statistics and rankings. This year’s statistics included students from 2001-2004. The Waves received an overall score of 94 percent, which put them No. 2 out of 24 Division I universities in California. This score is an improvement from the Waves’ last score of 91 percent last year.
Division I overall scored 1 percentage point higher than last year and reached their highest GSR score ever with 80 percent.
The NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate includes transfer students and student-athletes who leave in good academic standing, unlike the federal rate, which does not count transfers, according to the NCAA website. The GSR and federal rate calculations measure graduation over six years from initial college enrollment.
In a recent press release, Pepperdine Associate Director of Athletics for Student Development Jim Hamad said, “These figures are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes, coaches and administration.”
Pepperdine’s commitment to academic success will now receive national recognition both in the classroom and on the field.
