COLLEGE PARK, MD – The University of Maryland Athletic Department recorded its highest Academic Progress Rate (APR) score in history with a 988 mark for 2023-24, as released by the NCAA. Impressively, nine University of Maryland athletic teams earned a perfect 1000 Academic Progress Rate (APR) score. The teams include: women's basketball, women's golf, gymnastics, women's lacrosse, women's soccer, softball, women's track & field, volleyball and wrestling. Maryland's overall departmental APR score of 988 increased from 983 last year.
The women's basketball, women's golf, and gymnastics teams earned multi-year scores of 1000, which is attained by four consecutive years of perfect single-year APR scores.
Ten sport programs improved their multi-year scores, while an additional three maintained their multi-year scores. An impressive 14 teams boast a multi-year APR score above 980. In total, ten intercollegiate sport programs at the University of Maryland improved their single-year APR scores, while an additional four programs maintained their single-year scores.
"Congratulations to our Terrapins and our Gossett Center staff on a record-setting year," said Colleen Sorem, Interim Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics. "Posting the highest APR score in our school's history is an achievement to be celebrated. Our student-athletes continue to perform at the highest levels in the classroom. Our commitment to academic excellence is demonstrated by nine programs recording perfect 1,000 APR scores and 10 teams improving their multi-year APR scores."
Gymnastics has posted a perfect score four consecutive years. Women's Lacrosse has posted a perfect score three consecutive years and women's basketball has posted perfect scores in two consecutive years. Impressively, women's golf has posted a perfect 1000 APR score every year since 2015-16.
"The commitment to academic excellence is inspiring," said Brady Rourke, Director of the Gossett Center. "Exceptional academic achievement across all teams led to the record-breaking academic performance rate we celebrate today. This would not be possible without faculty who value the student-athlete experience, coaches who support academic achievement, and our GSAC staff who mentor student-athletes throughout their academic and athletic journey. Terrapin student-athletes recognize the value of a Maryland degree and are thriving academically".
The newly released multi-year APR scores are comprised of data submitted for 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. The APR index was developed by the NCAA to provide a "real time" snapshot on a semester-by-semester basis in order to measure the eligibility and retention of student-athletes in all Division I institutions. The APR is part of a larger package of initiatives, the NCAA Academic Performance Program, which was mandated by the NCAA Board of Directors to improve the academic performance of athletic teams.
In calculating the APR, all student-athletes receiving athletics financial aid are considered "counters" and each semester receives one point for retention/graduation and one point for meeting NCAA and University of Maryland eligibility standards for competition. The maximum number of APR points a student-athlete can earn in an academic year is four (two in the fall semester and two in the spring semester). A team's APR is the total number of eligibility/retention points earned divided by the maximum number of points possible. This APR number is then multiplied by 1000. (For example, a team that receives 94 percent of all possible points would have a team APR of 940.)
