UK Athletes Post Record Graduation Rates Again; Exceed National Average for Graduation

The following message from President Capilouto was sent to all of campus on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. 

Campus Community,

Below is a news release being distributed by UK Athletics and it is exciting news that strongly reinforces our commitment to student success.

The NCAA has announced annual numbers among its member programs for Graduation Success Rates (GSR) as well as the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR). We have tied our school record of 92 percent for the NCAA GSR – three points above the national average. Moreover, we have set a new record of 66 percent for the Federal Graduation Rate of our students.

As the release below indicates, these rates use different variables to measure student success in the classroom. Both have been trending upward for years, a reflection of our focus on academic success.

Indeed, the most telling statistic to me is this: since 2005, Graduation Success Rates among student athletes at UK have increased from 68 percent to 92 percent. Those percentages have increased steadily and consistently over the course of nearly 20 years.

That is a direct and undeniable testament to the leadership of Mitch Barnhart and the commitment he has had, along with this team, to ensuring our students succeed in competition and in the classroom. At the same time, as you know, UK Athletics has surpassed its department-wide goal of a cumulative 3.0 GPA for 18 consecutive semesters.

Mitch and his team are excelling in preparing our students for success in life, no matter what course or path they choose.

I know you join me in congratulating our department and our student athletes on further raising the bar of excellence for all of us. I also know that Mitch and our program, while gratified, will not be satisfied. They will continue to push for, and expect, more from themselves and the students who we support.

After all, this is who we are. This is what we do.

Thank you for the role you play in making such progress possible.

Eli Capilouto

President