Photo by: John McGillen
USC Athletics’ Graduation Success Rate Remains At All-Time High Of 93 Percent
December 08, 2023 | USC Athletics, Student-Athlete Academic Services
Eleven teams score a perfect 100 percent, with four teams improving from 2022.
LOS ANGELES — USC's 2023 Graduation Success Rate of USC student-athletes remains at a record high of 93 percent, according to data released on December 6 by the NCAA. Ever since scoring 80 percent in 2014, the Trojans have been hitting GSR records for the past decade, with this year's score matching last year's all-time high.
The 2023 GSR measures how many student-athletes in the cohort classes of 2013 through 2016 graduated within six years of their enrollment.
USC's 93-percent four-year figure is 26 percentage points higher than it was when the NCAA first released GSR numbers in 2005. USC's 93 percent also ranks the Trojans tied for third in the Pac-12 with Arizona State, just behind Stanford's 97 percent and Utah's 94. USC's 93 percent score for 2023 is higher than the overall average for all Division I schools, which stands at 91 percent.
Eleven of the 20 USC sports whose data was tracked by the NCAA have a GSR of a perfect 100 percent this year: men's golf, men's tennis, men's track and field, men's volleyball, women's basketball, women's golf, lacrosse, beach volleyball, soccer, women's track and field and women's water polo.
Five other teams — rowing (96%), women's volleyball (93%) baseball (92%) women's swimming and diving (92%) and men's basketball (90%) — scored in the 90-99 percent range. Four USC teams scored in the 80-89 percent range: men's swimming and diving (89%), women's tennis (89%), men's water polo (84%) and football (80%).
Eleven USC teams equaled perfect all-time high GSR rates for their programs this year, while baseball's 92 percent marked a program best and a nine-percent improvement from 2022.
Seventeen USC teams saw their 2023 scores either improve or stay the same from 2022. Improvements were made by baseball (+9 percentage points), women's tennis (+9), women's volleyball (+2) and football (+1). Teams that stayed even with their 2022 scores were: women's basketball, beach volleyball, men's golf, women's golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, men's swimming and diving, men's tennis, men's track and field, women's track and field, men's volleyball and women's water polo.
Women's soccer's rate is at 100 percent for the eighth consecutive year, men's tennis hit 100 percent for the seventh straight year, women's lacrosse did so for the sixth year in a row, women's track and field is perfect for the fourth straight year, and men's volleyball has three straight perfect scores. Six other teams —men's golf, men's track and field, women's basketball, women's golf, beach volleyball and women's water polo — have now hit 100 percent in back-to-back years.
"Our graduation rate serves as a clear testament to the unwavering dedication of our student-athletes to their academic pursuits," said Heather Bell, USC's associate athletic director for Student-Athlete Academic Services. "Their success is bolstered by the steadfast support of our advisors, learning specialists, coaches and administrators. We are truly fortunate to be the beneficiaries of extensive support from our campus community, whose involvement has been essential in our achievements. Aligned with our department's mission, we are committed to providing our students with the necessary space and resources for holistic excellence. Moving forward, we aspire to witness a continual improvement in these metrics, reflecting the ongoing growth and success of our students."
The 2023 GSR measures how many student-athletes in the cohort classes of 2013 through 2016 graduated within six years of their enrollment.
USC's 93-percent four-year figure is 26 percentage points higher than it was when the NCAA first released GSR numbers in 2005. USC's 93 percent also ranks the Trojans tied for third in the Pac-12 with Arizona State, just behind Stanford's 97 percent and Utah's 94. USC's 93 percent score for 2023 is higher than the overall average for all Division I schools, which stands at 91 percent.
Eleven of the 20 USC sports whose data was tracked by the NCAA have a GSR of a perfect 100 percent this year: men's golf, men's tennis, men's track and field, men's volleyball, women's basketball, women's golf, lacrosse, beach volleyball, soccer, women's track and field and women's water polo.
Five other teams — rowing (96%), women's volleyball (93%) baseball (92%) women's swimming and diving (92%) and men's basketball (90%) — scored in the 90-99 percent range. Four USC teams scored in the 80-89 percent range: men's swimming and diving (89%), women's tennis (89%), men's water polo (84%) and football (80%).
Eleven USC teams equaled perfect all-time high GSR rates for their programs this year, while baseball's 92 percent marked a program best and a nine-percent improvement from 2022.
Seventeen USC teams saw their 2023 scores either improve or stay the same from 2022. Improvements were made by baseball (+9 percentage points), women's tennis (+9), women's volleyball (+2) and football (+1). Teams that stayed even with their 2022 scores were: women's basketball, beach volleyball, men's golf, women's golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, men's swimming and diving, men's tennis, men's track and field, women's track and field, men's volleyball and women's water polo.
Women's soccer's rate is at 100 percent for the eighth consecutive year, men's tennis hit 100 percent for the seventh straight year, women's lacrosse did so for the sixth year in a row, women's track and field is perfect for the fourth straight year, and men's volleyball has three straight perfect scores. Six other teams —men's golf, men's track and field, women's basketball, women's golf, beach volleyball and women's water polo — have now hit 100 percent in back-to-back years.
"Our graduation rate serves as a clear testament to the unwavering dedication of our student-athletes to their academic pursuits," said Heather Bell, USC's associate athletic director for Student-Athlete Academic Services. "Their success is bolstered by the steadfast support of our advisors, learning specialists, coaches and administrators. We are truly fortunate to be the beneficiaries of extensive support from our campus community, whose involvement has been essential in our achievements. Aligned with our department's mission, we are committed to providing our students with the necessary space and resources for holistic excellence. Moving forward, we aspire to witness a continual improvement in these metrics, reflecting the ongoing growth and success of our students."
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