Nebraska Again Tops Big 12 Conference in Exhausted Eligibility Rates

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Nebraska boasts an impressive exhausted eligibility rate of 93 percent, two percentage points higher than its 91 percent mark a year ago. The exhausted eligibility rate surveys the graduation rate of scholarship student-athletes in 10 incoming freshmen classes who complete their eligibility at that university. Nebraska’s exhausted eligibility rate has increased from 87 to 93 percent in the past five years and improved 21 percentage points since the inception of the exhausted eligibility rate in 1991-92.

 

The current exhausted eligibility rate includes members of incoming classes from 1989-90 through 1998-1999. During that time period 417 of 448 Nebraska scholarship student-athletes who completed their eligibility earned their undergraduate degree.

 

Nebraska’s 93 percent exhausted eligibility rate ranks three percentage points higher than Baylor and Texas Tech who are tied for second in the Big 12 Conference at 90 percent. The national average for exhausted eligibility is 85 percent for Division I schools.

 

Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson said the rates are a strong indication of the work ethic of Husker student-athletes, and the focus that is placed on academics.

 

“Our student-athletes, our coaches, and Dennis Leblanc and our staff in the HewitAcademicCenter are to be commended for their outstanding work,” Pederson said.  “It is very clear that Nebraska student-athletes have their priorities straight and take pride in their academic successes.  We all believe that true success in athletics comes only when combined with success in academics and success in life.  Our students are living that example.  We are very proud of their success in graduation.”

 

In addition to the exhausted eligibility rates, the NCAA also announced other federal graduation-rate data and institutional Graduation/Success Rates (GSR) scores on Thursday. The GSR is the NCAA’s new calculation of student-athlete academic success. In December the NCAA released GSR scores and federal graduation rates for individual sports, but did not release the institutional figures at that time.

 

Nebraska’s highlights from the data released by the NCAA on Thursday included...

• Nebraska’s overall student-athlete Graduation Success Rate was 77 percent, a figure that ranked tied for second in the Big 12 Conference with Texas Tech, behind conference leader Baylor. The 77 percent rate also ranked above the Division I national GSR average of 76 percent.
• Nebraska boasted a one-class (1998-99 entering class) federal graduation rate of 66 percent, third in the Big 12 and above the national average of 62 percent. The 66 percent rate is the second-highest for Nebraska in the past 15 years.
• In the four-class graduation rate (1995-96 through 1998-99 entering classes), Nebraska had a 63 percent graduation rate, its best four-class graduation rate at any point in the past 15 years, and a mark that was tied for third in the Big 12.
• The high marks earned by Nebraska student-athletes in one and four-class graduation rates reflect an overall trend for the general student body at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. UNL’s 62 percent one-class and 57 percent four-class graduation rates were the highest for the school in the past 15 years.

The federal graduation rates for both one and four classes allow a student a six-year window to earn their degree from the time they enter their institution.

 

Big 12 Conference Exhausted Eligibility Rates

1. Nebraska                  93% (417/448 student-athletes)

2. Baylor                       90%

Texas Tech                   90%

4. Iowa State                 89%

5. Missouri                    88%

6. Texas                       87%

7. Texas A&M               85%

8. Kansas                     84%

Oklahoma                     84%

10. Colorado                  82%

11. Oklahoma State       80%

12. Kansas State           55%

Note: National Average is 85 percent

Includes entering classes from 1989-90 to 1998-99