Maryland Sets School Record With Highest Academic Progress Rate Score
5/12/2026 11:50:00 AM | The Barry & Mary Gossett Center for Acad
COLLEGE PARK, MD – The University of Maryland Athletic Department set its highest Academic Progress Rate (APR) score in history with a 990 mark for 2024-25, as released by the NCAA. Impressively, 14 University of Maryland athletic teams earned a perfect 1000 Academic Progress Rate (APR) score. The teams include: women's basketball, cross country, field hockey, men's golf, women's golf, gymnastics, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, tennis, men's track & field, volleyball and wrestling. Maryland's overall departmental APR score increased last year's record of 988.
The women's golf, women's gymnastics, women's lacrosse and women's tennis earned multi-year scores of 1000, which is attained by four consecutive years of perfect single-year APR scores.
Six sport programs improved their multi-year scores, while an additional eight maintained their multi-year scores. An impressive 16 teams boast a multi-year APR score above 980. In total, six intercollegiate sport programs at Maryland improved their single-year APR scores, while an additional nine programs maintained their single-year scores.
"Congratulations to our Terrapins and the staff at the Gossett Center for another historic year of academic achievement," said Jim Smith, Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics. "Earning the highest APR score in school history is a tremendous accomplishment and a reflection of the dedication our student-athletes bring to the classroom every day. Our commitment to academic success is further highlighted by 14 programs posting perfect 1,000 APR scores and six teams improving their multi-year APR marks."
Gymnastics has posted a perfect score for five consecutive years. Women's Lacrosse has posted a perfect score for four consecutive years. Impressively, women's golf has posted a perfect 1000 APR score every year since 2015-16.
"I'm fortunate to witness the drive, determination, and commitment to academic excellence that Terrapin student-athletes demonstrate every day," said Brady Rourke, Director of the Gossett Student-Athlete Center for Academic and Personal Excellence. "Successfully balancing the academic demands of college with the athletic responsibilities of Big Ten competition requires unwavering self-discipline. Proactive planning and strong communication with faculty and staff are essential in managing class schedules, structured study programs, exam preparation, and tutorial support.
"Without the dedicated professional academic counselors, learning specialists, and tutorial coordinators in the Gossett Student-Athlete Center, these achievements would be far more difficult to accomplish. Earning a department-record 990 APR score, with 14 teams achieving a perfect 1,000 single-year score, reflects coaches who value a Maryland degree, staff who support the educational goals of our students, and student-athletes who compete in the classroom with the same passion they bring to the field and court. It is an honor and privilege to work alongside such talented student-athletes every day."
The newly released multi-year APR scores are comprised of data submitted for 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25. 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.)
The women's golf, women's gymnastics, women's lacrosse and women's tennis earned multi-year scores of 1000, which is attained by four consecutive years of perfect single-year APR scores.
Six sport programs improved their multi-year scores, while an additional eight maintained their multi-year scores. An impressive 16 teams boast a multi-year APR score above 980. In total, six intercollegiate sport programs at Maryland improved their single-year APR scores, while an additional nine programs maintained their single-year scores.
"Congratulations to our Terrapins and the staff at the Gossett Center for another historic year of academic achievement," said Jim Smith, Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics. "Earning the highest APR score in school history is a tremendous accomplishment and a reflection of the dedication our student-athletes bring to the classroom every day. Our commitment to academic success is further highlighted by 14 programs posting perfect 1,000 APR scores and six teams improving their multi-year APR marks."
Gymnastics has posted a perfect score for five consecutive years. Women's Lacrosse has posted a perfect score for four consecutive years. Impressively, women's golf has posted a perfect 1000 APR score every year since 2015-16.
"I'm fortunate to witness the drive, determination, and commitment to academic excellence that Terrapin student-athletes demonstrate every day," said Brady Rourke, Director of the Gossett Student-Athlete Center for Academic and Personal Excellence. "Successfully balancing the academic demands of college with the athletic responsibilities of Big Ten competition requires unwavering self-discipline. Proactive planning and strong communication with faculty and staff are essential in managing class schedules, structured study programs, exam preparation, and tutorial support.
"Without the dedicated professional academic counselors, learning specialists, and tutorial coordinators in the Gossett Student-Athlete Center, these achievements would be far more difficult to accomplish. Earning a department-record 990 APR score, with 14 teams achieving a perfect 1,000 single-year score, reflects coaches who value a Maryland degree, staff who support the educational goals of our students, and student-athletes who compete in the classroom with the same passion they bring to the field and court. It is an honor and privilege to work alongside such talented student-athletes every day."
The newly released multi-year APR scores are comprised of data submitted for 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25. 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.)
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