University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Ranked Fourth Based on Graduation Success Rate
October 16, 2008 | Football
Oct. 16, 2008
Chapel Hill, N.C. ----- Based on the football Graduation Success Rates (GSR) released earlier this week by the NCAA, the University of North Carolina ranks tied for fourth among teams in the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25 polls. North Carolina has a GSR of 78 percent, which trails only Vanderbilt (91), Wake Forest (83) and Texas Tech (79). The average bowl subdivision GSR is 67 percent.
In this week's top 25 polls, North Carolina (5-1) is ranked No. 18 in the AP poll and No. 21 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.
The GSR was developed by the NCAA as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes. The GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. Under the GSR calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing.
RANKINGS IN THE CLASSROOM
Reshuffling this week's USA TODAY coaches' football poll according to each program's graduation rate:
Bowl subdivision avg. 67%
Team (rank in poll) Grad rate
1. Vanderbilt (23) 91%
2. Wake Forest (19) 83%
3. Texas Tech (5) 79%
4. Penn State (3) 78%
North Carolina (21) 78%
6. Virginia Tech (18) 75%
7. Ball State (25) 72%
8. Florida (7) 68%
9. TCU (24) 67%
10. Oklahoma State (10) 62%
11. Missouri (12) 59%
12. Utah (13) 57%
13. BYU (8) 56%
South Florida (20) 56%
15. Alabama (2) 55%
Boise State (16) 55%
17. USC (4) 54%
LSU (14) 54%
19. Kansas (15) 53%
California (22) 53%
21. Ohio State (11) 52%
22. Michigan State (17) 51%
23. Texas (1) 50%
24. Georgia (9) 48%
25. Oklahoma (6) 46%
