INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – William & Mary Athletics recorded strong numbers in the latest Academic Progress Rates released by the NCAA on Tuesday. The Tribe ranked No. 1 nationally among all public universities in both perfect multiyear APR scores and NCAA Public Recognition Awards.
In total, Tribe programs garnered 12 Public Recognition Awards, which were the most in the CAA, state of Virginia and among all Division I public universities in the country. The Tribe ranked ninth overall nationally for awards. It marked the third-most awards for W&M in the program’s 20-year history and most since it had 13 for the cohort ending in 2005-06. Public Recognition Awards go to teams earning multiyear Academic Progress Rates in the top 10% of all squads in their respective sport. The list of Public Recognition Award winners for W&M includes Women’s Basketball, Women’s Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Women’s Soccer, Men’s and Women’s Swimming, Women’s Tennis, and Volleyball.
In total, W&M received 131 Public Recognition Awards all-time across its programs. Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics, and Women’s Golf have each produced 12 awards in the history of the APR to lead the Tribe.
Each of the 12 programs to receive Public Recognition Awards produced perfect multiyear APR scores. W&M topped all Division I public schools in that category as well. Overall, the Tribe ranked eighth nationally among all DI institutions, while also leading the state of Virginia and the CAA.
As a department, W&M’s APR for 2022-23 was 994.61 among its 21 programs (indoor and outdoor track and field are combined), while its multiyear APR was 993.77, ahead of the national average of 984. The APR included data from the 2019-20 academic year through the 2022-23 academic year.
In total, 16 Tribe programs achieved perfect APRs in 2022-23, and 12 produced perfect multiyear APRs. All W&M programs ranked ahead of the national average for multiyear APR.
The 16 teams that sported 1,000 APRs in 2022-23 included Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Women’s Soccer, Men’s and Women’s Swimming, Women’s Tennis, Men’s and Women’s Track and Field and Volleyball.
Each academic year, every Division I sports team across the country calculates its APR using a simple and consistent formula. Each term, scholarship student-athletes can earn 1 point for remaining eligible and 1 point for staying in school or graduating. For schools that do not offer scholarships, recruited student-athletes are tracked.
The Academic Performance Program has established an essential framework for academic excellence. The program provides measurable goals to ensure schools are fulfilling their commitment of equipping student-athletes with the tools and resources necessary to achieve academic success.
Throughout 20 years of the Academic Performance Program, 21,365 student-athletes have gone back to school to earn their degrees, earning APR points for their former team. These student-athletes are typically not counted in the federal graduation rate or Graduation Success Rate calculations.
The APR is another example of the Tribe’s success in the classroom. During the 2024 spring semester, W&M student-athletes produced a cumulative GPA of 3.4, including all 21 programs posting a GPA of 3.0 or better. A record total of 232 Tribe student-athletes received the W&M Provost Award after a strong year of academic achievement. The Provost Award program began in 2003-04, and recognizes athletes who maintain over a 3.5 GPA.
During the fall, the Tribe led all Division I public institutions in Federal Graduation Rate for the 18th time in the last 19 years. W&M’s 88% FGR was well ahead of the national average for all student-athletes (69%). It ranked 10th overall among all Division I schools and was the highest in the state of Virginia. W&M had 12 teams report a 100% GSR (Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Field Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics, Women’s Lacrosse, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Swimming, and Men’s and Women’s Tennis).
