SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State student-athletes had their highest graduation rate ever and are graduating at a higher rate than the general student body as the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data was released by the NCAA on Wednesday.
 
Texas State student-athletes had an 82 percent GSR for the 2016-17 cohort, which was four percentage points higher than the previous group. It is the first time the Bobcats had a GSR above 80 percent since the data was first tracked in 2002.
 
The NCAA's GSR measures the most recent six-year graduating class of students and student-athletes who entered as freshmen in 2016-17. The data for student-athletes only accounts for those who received athletics aid from the school for any period of time during their entering year.
 
Five Texas State teams had higher GSRs than the national rates in their specific sports: men's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, softball, and women's tennis.
 
Meanwhile, four Texas State programs had perfect 100 percent GSRs: men's golf, women's golf, softball and women's tennis.
 
In total, 11 Texas State teams met or exceeded last year's GSR (2015-16 cohort).
 
Over the last 20 years, Texas State's GSR has increased from 66 percent to 82 percent. This year's GSR is Texas State's best in five years when it had a 79 percent rate with the 2011-12 cohort.
 
The NCAA has tracked GSR for more than two decades, and the original benchmark goal was 80 percent.
 
In addition to accounting for those individuals who received athletics aid, the NCAA's GSR also factors in transfers who enter and leave a school as well as mid-year college entry. The Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) does not, as it is best characterized as the percentage of students entering directly from high school who graduate from their initial college.