Once again, Michigan State student-athletes have demonstrated their excellence in the classroom as the Spartans posted a four-year Federal Graduation Rate of 80%, according to data released by the NCAA on Nov. 20. The 80% ties the second highest mark for the department, just one percentage point behind last year's 81%, and marks the fourth straight year at 80% or better. MSU's Graduation Success Rate of 91% is just one percent below the school's all-time high of 92%. This year's data includes the 2014-15 to 2017-18 freshman cohorts for the four-year totals and 2017-18 for the single-year rate.
"We are extremely proud of the academic accomplishments of our student-athletes," said Alan Haller, Michigan State University Vice President and Director of Athletics. "Being a student-athlete requires balancing both academic and athletic responsibilities, and graduation is the culmination of all that hard work. Leaving Michigan State with a college degree best positions our students for life after competition."
Michigan State's four-year FGR (80%) ranks third in the Big Ten and eighth among Power 5 conference peers, ranking fourth among public institutions in that group. Three sports posted a perfect four-year FGR of 100%, including women's soccer, men's tennis, and volleyball. An additional 10 programs earned a four-year FGR that ranked in the Top 20 among Power 5 conference peers, including six in the Top Six. The single-year FGR of 83% is the second-highest mark in department history.
The student-athletes' success in the classroom closely mirrors the academic achievements of MSU's student body. Of the Power 5 public institutions with an all-student FGR of 80% or more, Michigan State is one of just four whose student-athletes also had a rate of at least 80%. In fact, Spartan student-athletes posted the closest differential to the student body.
Eight sports posted a perfect 100% GSR, including women's golf, gymnastics, women's soccer, softball, men's tennis, women's tennis, women's track & field/cross country, and volleyball.
The FGR is the proportion of first-year, full-time student-athletes who entered a school on athletics aid and graduated from that institution within six years. This federal rate does not account for students who transfer from their original institution and graduate elsewhere. The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere. This calculation provides a more accurate look at student-athlete success.
This story originally appeared on MSUSpartans.com.