General | December 2, 2021
PHILADELPHIA – La Salle University athletic programs ranked first among all NCAA Division I schools in the NCAA's annual Graduation Success Rate (GSR) report, which was released on Thursday.
La Salle tied for the top spot in the nation with a near-perfect score of 99, and was matched by other elite academic institutions - Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, Holy Cross, Lafayette, and Yale.
"La Salle student-athletes have proven year after year that they are fantastic representatives of our institution, both on the fields of play and in the classroom," Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Brian Baptiste said. "The student-athlete experience at La Salle, to which our department is steadfastly committed, is centered around teaching and learning - two primary tenants of the Lasallian educational mission. We are thrilled that the hard work of our student-athletes has been recognized. This is a significant achievement that all Explorers should be proud of."
A total of 11 La Salle teams registered perfect scores of 100 and the overall department score was first among all Atlantic 10 schools. The 11 sport programs to score perfectly include men's basketball, women's basketball, men's cross country/track & field, women's cross country/track & field, men's golf, field hockey, men's soccer, women's soccer, women's swimming, women's rowing, and men's rowing.
"For nearly 160 years, our University has maintained its historic mission of delivering high-impact teaching and learning that leads to life-changing outcomes. These pillars are at the heart of a Lasallian education," said La Salle University Interim President Tim O'Shaughnessy, '85. "I am proud of our student-athletes' presence atop the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate report. This is the latest acknowledgment of their achievements both in and out of the classroom."
Since the GSR program began, La Salle has had 120 teams with a perfect score. The women's soccer program has received recognition 13 times, the most by a single La Salle program. This marks the 10th consecutive year that women's basketball has obtained a perfect score, while the men's basketball team has done so in each of the last seven years.
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 transfers who graduate from a different institution than the one they started at and transfers who leave an institution in good standing.
