NCAA Division I women’s and men’s hockey players continue to thrive as student-athletes, consistently scoring above the national average, according to the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data released by the NCAA.
Both women’s and men’s hockey ranked among the top five of all sports in this year’s report. Women’s hockey boasted a 97-percent four-class GSR, tied for fifth-highest among Division I women’s sports. Men’s hockey tied for fourth among men’s sports in four-year GSR (93%) and recorded the highest single-class average (96%):
Four-Class Average GSR (Women)
99% – Skiing
98% – Fencing, Gymnastics, Larosse
97% -- Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Swimming Tennis
95% – Overall DI Women’s GSR
Four-Class Average GSR (Men)
96% – Rifle
95% – Gymnastics
94% – Skiing
93% – Ice Hockey, Tennis
86% – Overall DI Men’s GSR
Single-Class GSR (Men)
96% – Ice Hockey
95% – Golf, Tennis
94% – Lacrosse
92% – Swimming
91% – Overall DI GSR
(Single-year GSR not available for women’s ice hockey)
The report released by the NCAA reflects graduation numbers among student-athletes who entered college in 2016.
“Student-athletes competing in college hockey continue to excel as much in the classroom as they do in the ice arena,” said College Hockey Inc. Executive Director Mike Snee. “The release of Graduation Success Rate data has become an annual moment of excitement and pride in the college hockey community.”
Eighteen women’s hockey programs – more than half of the 31 reporting Division I women’s hockey institutions – recorded a perfect 100-percent GSR: Boston University, Brown, Colgate, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, Merrimack, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Penn State, Princeton, Providence, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, Vermont and Yale.
Additionally, all but two of those 31 women’s programs had rates of 90 percent or better.
On the men’s side, 15 Division I hockey programs achieved a perfect 100-percent GSR in the most recent data: American International, Bentley, Bowling Green, Canisius, Colgate, Cornell, Harvard, Holy Cross, Lake Superior State, UMass Lowell, Merrimack, Miami, Omaha, Air Force Academy and Yale.
A total of 33 men’s programs had rates of 90 percent or better.
Classroom work often continues once hockey players move on to the professional ranks. A notable recent example is St. Cloud State alumni and current Washington Capitals forward Nic Dowd, now in his ninth National Hockey League season, who will graduate at age 33 in December with a degree in biology.
“I knew when I was leaving St. Cloud State that it was something I wanted to finish,” Dowd recently told College Hockey Inc. “It may have taken a little longer than I planned, but it was extremely important to myself and my family. My mom and dad helped put me through boarding school at Culver, and my education was always very important to them, which in turn made it very important to me. I wanted to get my degree not only for myself, but for them as well.”
For more information on NCAA Graduation Success Rata data, including the full 2023 report, visit NCAA.org.