Academic Focus Earns Rockhurst Student-Athletes Best Regional and Top-10 National Rankings

Rockhurst University student-athletes are at the top of their conference and in the top 10 nationally among all NCAA Division II schools in a new report measuring academic success.

The NCAA measures Academic Success Rate and Federal Graduation Rate for all its member institutions. Both statistics track graduation rates over a six-year window for freshman cohorts who enrolled in college coursework between 2012 and 2015, the difference being that the NCAA’s Academic Success Rate accounts for students who transfer in and those who transfer out in good academic standing. In the most recent report released in mid-November, Rockhurst University student-athletes posted an academic success rate of 94% and a federal graduation rate of 80%.

Those marks are good for the top spot among all Great Lakes Valley Conference schools and in the Kansas City region among Division II schools. The scores are also tied for No. 10 nationally in Division II.

Rockhurst University Athletics teams have long boasted an above-average ASR. This year, Rockhurst’s student-athletes were also honored with the NCAA Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence, an award recognizing ASR above 90. It was the 12th straight year for the recognition, which the University’s student-athletes have received since the honor was established in 2011. 

The continued streak of success in the academic arena shows that Rockhurst student-athletes strive to perform in the classroom as well as on the field, said Kristy Bayer, director of athletics.

“Student-athletes balance a lot of obligations, between travel and practice and the season schedule,” she said. “But our Hawks know that they have a support network that includes their coaches, their faculty, University staff, and each other. We’re very proud of that network of support and of our student-athlete’s continued success.”

Of the 14 total men’s and women’s athletic programs measured at Rockhurst University for the report, eight posted an academic success rate of 100%, and the ASR in every program was measured above the national average of 76%.

“Most collegiate student-athletes at all levels will transition to careers other than professional sports,” Bayer said. “We think it is crucial that they receive a high-quality, Jesuit education and are able to graduate on time with the skills they need to succeed, no matter where they go after college.”