Baylor student-athletes rank No. 13 nationally in Graduation Success Rate

When Baylor Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades talks about building “Champions for Life,” he means it.

After leading the Big 12 Conference in Graduation Success Rate (GSR) eight straight years, Baylor student-athletes again tied the school record for GSR in 2022, finishing second in Texas (behind only Rice) and No. 13 nationally among Power Five schools.

Baylor finished second in the Big 12, the 14th time in the last 16 years that BU has finished either first or second in the league. The No. 13 national finish was one step up from the Bears’ place last year.

What is GSR? It’s a measurement created to provide a more thorough and accurate assessment of student-athlete academic performance than the federal graduation rate. For instance, GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students, where the federal graduation rate does not. Outgoing students who transfer in good academic standing also do not penalize institutions in GSR.

En route to a school-record GSR, it’s no surprise that many individual programs excelled. Five programs earned a perfect score of 100: men’s golf, women’s golf, softball, women’s tennis and volleyball. Men’s cross country/track and field also led the Big 12, giving the Bears six programs that paced the conference.

Since arriving at Baylor in 2016, Rhoades has consistently urged his department to prepare student-athletes to be not just champions on the field, but champions for life. Academic achievement is, in fact, the first of four pillars that support that vision. Numbers like these show that Baylor student-athletes are making us just as proud in the classroom as they do on the field or court.

Sic ’em, Baylor student-athletes!