Published on November 28, 2018 by Joey Mullins  
Samford Volleyball GSR Story

Samford University athletics teams continue to be ranked among the top in the nation for Graduation Success Rate (GSR). According to a report released by the NCAA, Samford earned a 97 percent overall GSR score, placing Samford 17th in the nation among all colleges and universities in the NCAA Division I level. Samford continues to rank 1st in Alabama and 1st in the Southern Conference for graduation success among student-athletes.

The most recent GSR measures how many student-athletes in the classes of 2008 through 2011 graduated within six years of their enrollment. Nine of Samford's teams earned perfect scores of 100 percent — baseball, men's basketball, men's golf, men's tennis, women's basketball, women's golf, soccer, women's tennis and volleyball. All Samford teams scored above the national average in the report.

“At Samford we are committed to supporting our students both on and off the field,” said Harold Goss, Associate Athletic Director for Academics. “Success in the classroom is a vital part of the Samford athletics experience.”

The NCAA developed the Graduation Success Rate in response to college and university presidents who wanted graduation data that more accurately reflects the mobility among all college students today. The formula achieves this by allowing student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible to be subtracted from a school’s score and student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere to be added. This calculation offers a more accurate look at student-athlete success.

Samford GSR Highlights:

  • Samford has consistently earned a top overall GSR above 90 percent since 2012.
  • Men’s tennis has earned a perfect GSR since the methodology’s inception in 2002.
  • Men’s basketball and golf have earned a perfect GSR the past six consecutive years.
  • Women’s golf and soccer have earned a perfect GSR the past five consecutive years.
  • Women’s basketball has earned a perfect GSR the past four consecutive years.

The complete graduation rate report is available online at NCAA.org.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.