It may not be the best year for Gamecock Football; however, the University of South Carolina continues to raise the bar beyond the playing field. In the NCAA’s latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) release, Gamecock Athletics ranked fourth in the SEC with a stellar 94% graduation rate trailing only Alabama (96%), Mississippi State (96%), and Vanderbilt (95%). The metric uses scholarship student-athletes who graduate within six years of enrolling in the school. For the University of South Carolina, this year's report reflects athletes who entered in Fall 2018. The results paint a picture of a department that is doing more than competing, they are building futures.
South Carolina Football posted one of the most impressive numbers in the entire SEC, recording a 96% GSR, second among programs in the league, and tied for 14th nationally among all Power Five schools.
“Our student-athletes are committed to be the best they can be, both on the field and in the classroom,” Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati said. “The GSR is an indication of academic success that will propel our student-athletes to career success. Our Dodie Academic Enrichment Staff puts in the time and effort to help our student-athletes reach their goal of graduation.”
The strength of the department also runs well beyond the metrics for the football program. Nine Gamecock programs posted a perfect 100 GSR including:
- Men’s Golf
- Men’s Tennis
- Softball
- Women’s Basketball
- Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country
- Women’s Golf
- Women’s Soccer
- Women’s Tennis
- Volleyball
A Record-Breaking Year Beyond the GSR
The 2024-25 academic season was one of the strongest in Gamecock history, in fact.
- Departmental GPA: 3.45, marking the 37th straight semester above a 3.0 GPA.
- Cumulative GPA: 3.46, the second highest ever for Gamecock Athletics.
- 128 student-athletes earned degrees during the academic year.
- 477 Gamecocks made the SEC Academic Honor Roll, the highest total in school history and third-most in the conference this year.
- Since 2015–16, South Carolina leads the SEC with 4,225 total honor roll selections.
- Ten Gamecocks earned Academic All-America honors, the most in school history, including two first-team honorees from football in the same year for the first time ever.
- All sports posted APR scores of 950+, with 13 teams earning perfect single-year scores (1000), which is the second-highest total in South Carolina history.
- Volleyball recorded its 11th straight perfect APR, and Beach Volleyball continued its undefeated streak since the NCAA began tracking the sport.
South Carolina's academic performance is a pattern that reinforces the department's reputation for producing well-rounded athletes who compete at a championship level in every area.