INDIANAPOLIS (11/19/2025) -- The University of Detroit Mercy Department of Athletics celebrated another year of outstanding academic achievement as the NCAA released its latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) on Wednesday afternoon.

Detroit Mercy registered a 91.0% for the second year in a row - the highest in school history behind the 92.0% in 2010-11 - which gives graduation information about the most recent six-year graduating class of students and student-athletes who entered as freshmen in 2018-19. The national standard for a single-year and four-year rates remain high at 90% accoring to the NCAA. 

It also marked the 21st straight year that the Titans ranked in the top five in the state, as UDM has now recorded 90.0% or better nine times since the NCAA started collecting and releasing the information in 2004-05.

"The report once again indicates the tremendous job that our student-athletes accomplish with the high stress and demands that it takes to compete on and off the field," said Director of NCAA Compliance Amy Gasahl '11 (MBA). "The high marks are also a testament to the hard work and extreme dedication of all the support staff, coaches, and professors at the University, and all of the academic resources that we have to make sure all our student-athletes have what they need to be successful."

Detroit Mercy saw four teams record a perfect 100% score in women's cross country/track and field, women's fencing, women's lacrosse, and women's soccer. In addition, men's soccer at 95% and softball at 96% were also above the national average for their respective sports.

Men's golf (86%), men's lacrosse (88%), women's basketball (88%), and women's golf (88%) were all above 85%.

This year, all women's sports recorded a graduation rate of 90% or better, with gymnastics and lacrosse earning the highest marks at 99% and 98%, respectively, while all men's sports recorded a graduation rate of 79% or better, with tennis and rifle having the highest rate of 94%.

GSR was created in 2002 in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students beyond what the federal graduation rate measures. The federal rate counts any student who leaves a school as an academic failure, even if the student enrolls at another school. Also, the federal rate does not recognize students who enter schools as transfer students. 

The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere. This calculation provides a more accurate measurement of student-athlete success.

While student-athlete graduation success rates remain high, deeper analysis and data forecasting indicate that the additional flexibility in rules governing competition after transfer could impact graduation rates in the future.