WASHINGTON – American University's athletic programs have always been known for their extraordinary commitment to academic success, and that dedication has been proven yet again with the release of the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data. AU ranks in the top 25 of all Division I athletic departments in the latest GSR release.  

Six AU teams recorded a perfect GSR score of 100 for cohorts entering in the years between 2009-12. Women's soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, men's cross country and track, and men's swim and dive were the programs to earn a perfect score.

"We take great pride in the academic accomplishments of our student-athletes" said Director of Athletics and Recreation Billy Walker.  "The success of all our programs in the classroom is due to the hard work of our student-athletes, coaches and academic support staff. We can't achieve these graduation rates without a department-wide emphasis on the primacy of academics.  I'm very proud of everyone involved."

The overall score for AU of 96 ranks the University in a tie for 25th among all programs in NCAA Division I. Among Patriot League schools, American ranks in a tie for fifth in the 10-member league. 

The NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) is designed to reflect the proportion of student-athletes on any given team who earn a college degree within a six-year window of their initial enrollment. The GSR was developed in response to colleges and universities who asked for an alternative rate that more accurately reflects the movement among college student-athletes. The GSR takes into account incoming transfers who graduate from a different institution than the one they started at and transfers who leave an institution in good standing.