Gophers graduation rate hits highest mark in school history

Gophers athletes have hit a high mark on graduating from college, according to Wednesday's release of NCAA's Graduation Success Rates (GSR).

University of Minnesota student-athletes graduated at a 92 percent clip in the latest GSR measure, which counts the six-year period for freshman who enrolled in 2010. That's 2 percentage points better than last year's record high.

GSR was introduced in 2005, and the Gophers scored 77 percent that year.

"Whether it's our department's grade-point average or our graduation success rate, we've seen record numbers in the past several years and that all starts with our students and their commitment to academic excellence," said JT Bruett, director of the McNamara Academic Center for Student-Athletes, in a statement.

All 11 women's teams scored 87 percent or higher, and nine teams hit 90 percent or better.

Six women's programs were a perfect 100 percent: basketball, gymnastics, hockey, soccer, tennis and volleyball.

Eight of the 10 men's programs hit 83 percent or higher, led by cross county/track and field, golf, gymnastics and tennis all achieving 100 percent rates.

Nineteen of the Gophers' 21 sports posted the same or better scores compared to last year.

"It will always be our priority for Gopher student-athletes to graduate and leave campus prepared to take on the world as the future leaders of our communities," Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle said in a statement.

"And I appreciate the dedication our students and academic staff have shown to making it their top priority as well."

The GSR shows the percentage of student-athletes who earn a degree within six years of starting school.

Data includes first-time freshmen, student-athletes who entered at midyear and student-athletes who transferred to the University of Minnesota between 2007 and 2010. It excludes student-athletes who transfer from Minnesota in good academic standing.