The University of Nevada’s Graduation Success Rate for student-athletes is at an all-time high, according to the most recent data released by the NCAA this week.

Nevada’s student-athletes posted an overall Graduation Success Rate of 70 percent in 2008, the highest mark in school history and up from 67 percent in 2007. Nevada’s GSR has improved in each of the four years the NCAA has released GSR data from 63 percent in 2005, 65 percent in 2006, 67 percent in 2007 and now 70 percent in 2008. The federal graduation rate for Nevada's student-athletes, which doesn’t count transfer students, is 54 percent this year.

“We are pleased to see our Graduation Success Rate reach 70 percent for the first time in school history, and I want to commend all of our student-athletes, academic staff, coaches and the university community for all of their hard work in helping our student-athletes accomplish the ultimate goal of graduation,” Nevada Director of Athletics Cary Groth said. “We still have plenty of room to improve and are committed to providing all student-athletes with all of the academic support and resources they need to reach their academic goals.”

The current Graduation Success Rate is based on student-athletes who began full-time enrollment at any school in 2001-02 and received athletic aid in their first year of college.

The Graduation Success Rate was developed by the NCAA as it part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes. Unlike the federal graduation rate, the GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer student-athletes, includes mid-year enrollees, and is calculated for every sport.

Nevada’s highest ever GSR mark is the latest accomplishment in a year of academic successes for the Wolf Pack. All 17 of Nevada’s teams turned in a multi-rate Academic Progress Rate at or above the NCAA’s standard of 925 in 2007-08, and Nevada was the only school in the Western Athletic Conference to not have any teams face any penalties. Nevada saw 78 student-athletes representing 15 teams earn their degrees in the 2007-08 academic year, while 103 Wolf Pack student-athletes were named to the 2007-08 WAC All-Academic teams.

Nevada also opened the Marguerite Wattis Petersen Athletic Academic Center in the spring of 2008, giving Nevada’s student-athletes a state-of-the-art 8,000-square foot facility which is home to the athletics advising department and features a computer center, advisor offices, individual and group study areas and a student lounge for group study and meetings.

“We have a strong athletics program that embraces the importance of producing student-athletes who are as successful in the classroom as they are in competition,” University President Milton Glick said. “Our student-athletes, faculty and staff should be congratulated for the improvement in our graduation rates and the academic progress they continue to make.”