FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Colorado State University's Department of Athletics had the top academic performance by Academic Progress Rate (APR) standards in the Mountain West in 2015-16, the NCAA announced today. The program set a school record with 10 of 14 sports (men's indoor and outdoor track are combined, as are the women's programs) scoring perfect 1,000s from the last completed academic year.



The Rams' sports programs that earned single-year perfect APRs are men's cross country, men's golf, men's track & field, women's basketball, women's cross country, women's golf, women's soccer, women's swimming & diving, women's volleyball and women's track & field. The remaining four programs (football, men's basketball, softball andwomen's tennis) all scored above 955, surpassing the NCAA standard of 930.



Colorado State was the highest of the Mountain West schools in percentage of perfect APR scores in 2015-16, relative to number of sports sponsored, and just one of three with 50 percent or more at the perfect score of 1000. CSU's percentage of 72.4 led the way, with just Boise State and San Jose State (each at 50 percent) joining the Rams at half or more of their sport programs meeting the perfect standard. The Rams were also second in terms of total sports with perfect scores, only surpassed by Air Force's 11 of its 25 sports sponsored with perfect scores.



"Being the leader in the Mountain West in APR is definitely a feather in our University's cap," Director of Athletics Joe Parker said. "This is a tribute to our coaches for recruiting quality student-athletes, the professors and instructors here at Colorado State in their teaching excellence and our academic staff for continuing to work with all student-athletes to succeed in the classroom. However, the greatest portion of the credit is to the student-athletes for their efforts in their studies and taking advantage of the great resources and opportunities afforded them here at CSU. I am very proud of this as we again fulfill the first part of our department's mission `To Educate' and look forward to the continued efforts of all those involved."



Per the NCAA, Division I student-athletes improved academically for the 13th consecutive year, earning another all-time high four-year Academic Progress Rate.



The 2015-16 overall four-year rate is 981, up two points from the four-year rate announced last year. Among the improvements, the men's basketball program earned a 966 four-year rate (up from 964), and the women's basketball program earned a 980 (up from 978). CSU is ahead of the national average in both programs, with women's basketball 11 points ahead of the sport average at 991 and the men 10 points ahead (976) of the national men's basketball rate.



NCAA President Mark Emmert applauded Division I student-athletes for their continued academic

achievement and dedication to earning a degree.



"I am so pleased that the Academic Progress Rates continue to rise, but I am more excited about what those numbers mean: Thousands of college athletes continue to make real progress toward earning their degrees," Emmert said. "A college degree, combined with the skills they learn while participating in sports, will provide countless opportunities for them later in life."



Every Division I sports team across the nation calculates its Academic Progress Rate each academic year, like a report card. Scholarship student-athletes each semester earn one point for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. At schools that don't offer scholarships, recruited student-athletes are tracked.



In the 13 years of the Academic Performance Program, more than 15,000 former college athletes have earned APR points for their former teams by going back to school and earning their degrees. More than 8,000 competed in baseball, men's basketball, football and women's basketball -- the highest-profile sports in Division I. Each of those graduates earned APR points for their former team, but often don't count toward the Graduation Success Rate or federal graduation rate because those rates only track students for six years after enrollment.





Highest Percentage of perfect 2015-16 APR scores (relative to sport sponsorship in Mountain West) Colorado State 71.4% (10/14) Boise State 50.0% (9/18) San Jose State 50.0% (7/14) San Diego State 47.1% (8/17) Nevada 46.7% (7/15) Air Force 44.0% (11/25) UNLV 43.8% (7/16) New Mexico 36.8% (7/19) Hawai'I 31.3% (5/16) Utah State 28.6% (4/14) Wyoming 26.7% (4/15) Fresno State 25.0% (4/16) CSU's Combined Multiyear APR (four years from 2012-13 to 2015-16) Men's Basketball 976 Men's Cross Country 1,000 Football 966 Men's Golf 992 Men's Track 991 Women's Basketball 991 Women's Cross Country 990 Women's Golf 976 Softball 990 Women's Soccer 1,000 Women's Swimming & Diving 991 Women's Tennis 959 Women's Volleyball 995 Women's Track 989