For the third consecutive year, the University has placed second nationwide in student-athlete graduation rate, behind only Stanford University, according to the NCAA’s annual survey.

According to U.S. Department of Education guidelines, Bison athletic programs as a whole averaged over a 91 percent graduation rate for students graduating between 2010 and 2014. Of the school’s 27 Division I collegiate teams, seven varsity teams boast 100 percent graduation rates: baseball, men’s lacrosse, field hockey, women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis, and volleyball.

The NCAA also calculates a measure of Graduation Success Rates (GSR), which takes into account athletes who transferred with good academic standing. The Orange and Blue scored an impressive 95 percent in this measure, with 16 University teams earning 100 percent. The remaining teams all scored over 85 percent. The Bison wrestling team is one of only four programs in the country to have a perfect score in GSR, and men’s lacrosse is one of 10 nationally.

The academic success of Bison athletics is widely recognized in the Patriot League as well. In the 2015-2016 season, Bison athletes won six of the Patriot League’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. The University has been well represented on the Academic All-Patriot League Teams for as long as the league has been recognizing high-achieving athletes. Women’s soccer player Kendall Ham ’18 was named 2016 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The academic achievements of these athletes and many more all contributed to the national recognition.

Director of Athletics & Recreation John Hardt expressed pride in the University’s emphasis on education.

“Bison Athletics is first and foremost a student-centered organization,” Hardt said.

Undoubtedly, the University will continue to strive to foster the success of its student-athletes both in the classroom and on the field, track, or court.