DeKALB — NIU Athletics has a lot to be proud after receiving the NCAA’s annual Graduation Success Rate report. NIU achieved its second highest GSR in school history of 88%, the highest in five years.

“Every year, the release of the Graduation Success Rate report provides us with more validation that at NIU, we are living up to our commitment to graduate student-athletes,” NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean Frazier said.

This year’s GSR report is based on information from first-year students who entered school between the 2009-10 and 2012-13 academic calendar years.

Seven programs saw a 100% GSR, which includes men’s golf, men’s tennis, women’s basketball, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s soccer and volleyball, which is up from five programs the year before.

Baseball, football, men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s tennis and wrestling all saw increases in GSR percentage from last year.

The Huskie football team posted an 88% GSR, the second highest in program history, which was a 5% increase from last year. That places the school’s football program second in Illinois and the Mid-American Conference, and tied for 21st in the nation. The Huskies are 10% above the national average for all Division I football programs.

“Providing student-athletes with the resources and support needed to succeed academically as well as athletically is at the core of our mission,” Frazier said. “Seeing the success of our student-athletes in the classroom reflected in these numbers is a result of their hard work, along with the Student-Athlete Academic Support Services unit, the coaches and athletics staff.”

For MAC schools, only Miami University – Ohio with 93% and the University of Toledo with 92% had a higher overall GSR than NIU.