Cal Athletes' Graduation Success Rate Improves Again

Bears men's basketball tied for top GSR in Pac-12; Cal football has best GSR ever and is 6th in the conference

Cal has posted a record-high Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for the fifth consecutive year with the score rising to 89 percent in the latest data released by the NCAA on Thursday.

Overall, seven Golden Bears teams achieved 100 percent, and 13 programs finished at or above the 90-percent mark.

Men's basketball reached a 100 percent GSR for the first time, while the football program rose to an all-time best of 84 percent. Basketball is up 60 percent over the past four years with football setting a program high for the third consecutive year.

Cal's overall rate of 89% is two percent higher than last year and up 10 percent over the past six years.

Here are the Graduation Success Rates of Pac-12 schools in men's basketball and football.

.

Men's basketball

Cal -- 100%

Arizona State -- 100%

USC -- 100%

Stanford -- 100%

Utah -- 100%

Washington State -- 100%

Colorado -- 92%

Washington -- 75%

Oregon State -- 67%

Arizona -- 60%

UCLA -- 55%

Oregon -- 20%

.

Football

Stanford -- 93%

Utah -- 90%

Arizona State -- 86%

Washington -- 85%

Washington State -- 85%

Cal -- 84%

Oregon State -- 82%

USC -- 81%

Colorado -- 77%

Arizona -- 73%

Oregon -- 73%

UCLA -- 71%

The GSR is based on a six-year cohort, meaning that the latest report includes those student who received athletic scholarships, enrolled at Cal as freshmen or incoming transfers from 2011-14, and completed their degree within six years.

It is not the same as the Academic Progress Rate (APR).

The seven Cal programs with perfect graduation rates are:

---Men's basketball (1st time ever)

---Women's golf (3rd year in a row and 8th time ever)

---Women's gymnastics (5th year in a row and 10th time ever)

---Softball (2nd year in a row)

---Men's tennis (6th year in a row)

---Women's tennis (9th year in a row and 10th time ever)

---Volleyball (10th year in a row and 13th time ever)

In addition, women's soccer had an all-time high of 96 percent, with the following programs also at 90 percent or above: field hockey, lacrosse, women's rowing, men's swimming and diving, and women's swimming and diving.

"I am thrilled to see our student-athletes thrive in the classroom and earn the highest graduation rates in our history," Cal Director of Athletics said in a statement released by the school. "This is only possible through their dedication and commitment to their academic pursuits at the world's No. 1 public university. At Cal, we strive to support the total developmental experience of all of our student-athletes, and such results are not possible without a full team behind them, including our coaches, our staff and our university. We will continue to do everything we can to put our student-athletes in position to succeed in the classroom, on the fields and in life after Cal."

.

Cover photo by Jasen Vinlove, USA TODAY Sports

.

Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by searching: @si.calsportsreport or going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport