Student-Athlete Academic Services | December 02, 2021

LOS ANGELES — The 2021 Graduation Success Rate of USC student-athletes hit an all-time high for the eighth consecutive year, this year reaching 92%, according to data released today (Dec. 2) by the NCAA.

The 2021 GSR measures how many student-athletes in the classes of 2011 through 2014 graduated within six years of their enrollment.

That 92% four-year figure is one percentage point higher than USC's 2020 mark. It also is 25 percentage points higher than it was when the NCAA first released GSR numbers in 2005. And it is one percentage point higher than the University's current federal graduation rate.

Twelve of the 19 USC sports whose data was tracked by the NCAA had a GSR this year above 90%, including six with a perfect 100%: men's basketball (100%), men's tennis (100%), men's volleyball (100%), women's lacrosse (100%), women's soccer (100%), women's track and field (100%), men's water polo (96%), women's rowing (96%), women's water polo (96%), men's track and field (95%), women's basketball (93%) and women's volleyball (93%).

USC's seven other teams scored in the 80% range: men's swimming (89%), women's swimming (89%), women's tennis (88%), women's golf (86%), baseball (85%), football (81%) and men's golf (80%).

Eight USC teams either set or equaled all-time high GSR rates for their programs this year: the six teams that scored 100%, plus women's water polo (96%) and men's track and field (95%).

Fifteen USC teams saw their scores either improve from last year or stay the same: men's basketball (+25 percentage points), men's volleyball (+8), men's track and field (+7), women's golf (+6), men's swimming (+4), women's tennis (+2), women's rowing (+1), women's volleyball (+1), women's water polo (+1), baseball (even), men's tennis (even), women's basketball (even), women's lacrosse (even), women's soccer (even) and women's track and field (even).

Women's soccer's rate is at 100% for the sixth consecutive year, men's tennis hit 100% for the fifth straight year and women's lacrosse did so for the fourth year in a row. Men's basketball's rate of 100% is 50 percentage points higher than in 2018 and 56 points better than its initial 2005 figure, while women's golf's rate of 86% is 29 points better than in 2018.

Compared to their initial rates in 2005, football's current 81% rate is 26 percentage points higher, while men's tennis' 100% is 75 points higher, men's volleyball's 100% is 43 points higher, women's track and field's 100% is 36 points higher, men's track and field's 95% is 34 points higher, baseball's 85% is 32 points higher and women's volleyball's 93% is 22 points higher. "Our student-athletes have demonstrated incredible resilience and flexibility in the face of new academic realities," said Dr. Denise Kwok, USC's director of Student-Athlete Academic Services. "We are proud to see that they continue to engage fully in their academics, and we are grateful to the campus community for the effort and concern that goes into making sure each of our student-athletes have an exceptional academic experience. From our highest level of administration to our individual academic advisors, coaches and support team, everyone plays a critical role in ensuring our student-athletes' success. We could not continue this incredible progression of academic success without the adaptability, dedication and commitment from our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and academics team."