The UMSL Department of Athletics recognized all the student-athletes who posted GPAs of 3.3 or higher last fall. (Photo courtesy of UMSL Athletics)

Student-athletes at the University of Missouri–St. Louis continue to excel in the classroom as much as on the field, court or course or in the pool.

Tritons student-athletes have posted a four-year Federal Graduation Rate of 62 percent and an Academic Success Rate of 83 percent, both exceeding national averages.

Their success contributed to the Great Lakes Valley Conference recently tying the California Collegiate Athletic Association for the third highest Federal Graduation Rate among NCAA Division II Conferences. It also has the third-highest Academic Success Rate of among those 23 leagues, according to a report released last week by the national office.

“These numbers reflect a commitment by our student-athletes to excel both the classroom and in their respective sport,” Director of Athletics Lori Flanagan said. “This is also the academic standard we have set for our student-athletes and something we expect for them to achieve.”

Academic Success Rate, first introduced in 2005, is a rolling average of the graduation outcomes for Division II student-athletes and is more inclusive than the federal rate because it also includes transfer student-athletes and mid-year enrollees.

Overall UMSL student-athletes posted a department record 3.34 GPA during the 2018-19 academic year and have had a collective GPA of 3.0 or higher for 13 consecutive semester.

A total of 74 percent of athletes exceeded that mark during the last academic year, helping 12 of the Tritons’ 13 teams post cumulative GPAs of 3.0 or higher.