VILLANOVA, Pa.—The dedication of Villanova student-athletes to their academic pursuits has once again put the Wildcats in position to set new standards for their elite levels of academic achievement. Villanova Athletics set a new program record with a 99 percent NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and ranks among the top five Division I programs in the country in the latest set of data released by the NCAA on Tuesday afternoon. Villanova has the highest GSR among all BIG EAST programs and is one of only five schools nationally to have an overall score of 99 percent or higher.
In this week's GSR release Villanova had 13 of its athletic programs post a perfect 100 percent graduation success rate for the 2012-2015 cohort. This data measures the percentage of student-athletes who entered college on institutional aid (whether athletics-based or otherwise) between those years and graduated within six years. Villanova had eight women's programs and five men's programs earn a 100 percent GSR in the release. The NCAA GSR differs from the federal graduation rate calculation in two important ways. First, the GSR holds colleges accountable for those student-athletes who transfer into their school. Second, the GSR does not penalize colleges whose student-athletes transfer in good academic standing.
The across-the-board success of Wildcats student-athletes stands out even more under close examination of the latest GSR data. Villanova is one of just two BIG EAST schools to have at least 13 programs earn a 100 percent NCAA GSR rate. The Wildcats also performed particularly well in the high-profile sports of men's basketball, women's basketball and football. In basketball, Villanova is one of three BIG EAST schools to achieve a 100 percent score for both its men's and women's teams.
The Wildcats are one of only two BIG EAST women's basketball programs to achieve a 100 percent score in both the GSR and federal rate calculations. In men's basketball Villanova had the highest federal graduation rate (82) of any BIG EAST school, while in football the Wildcats set a new program record and topped all CAA Football schools with a 96 percent GSR.
The data released on Tuesday afternoon showed Division I student-athletes continuing to graduate at their highest rate in the 20 years the NCAA GSR has been tracked. The overall single-year rate held steady at last year's rate of 90%. Since its inception 20 years ago, Graduation Success Rates for Division I student-athletes overall have increased 16 points.
During the past four academic years (2018-19 through 2021-22), the Wildcats won a combined 21 regular season and postseason conference championships. Villanova made 15 national postseason appearances during the four-year stretch, including the men's basketball team advancing to the Final Four in 2022 for the third time in six seasons. The women's outdoor track & field team tallied a top-20 national finish in 2022 and the softball team won its second straight BIG EAST title and advanced to its second consecutive NCAA regional. The football team reached the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs in 2021, the men's soccer team won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game and the women's swimming & diving team won its program record ninth straight BIG EAST title in February 2022.
Villanova Programs Earning a 100 Percent NCAA Graduation Success Rate (2012-2015 Cohorts)
Baseball
Men's Basketball
Women's Basketball
Field Hockey
Men's Lacrosse
Women's Lacrosse
Men's Soccer
Women's Soccer
Softball
Women's Swimming & Diving
Men's Track & Field/Cross Country
Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
Volleyball
