FLORENCE, Ala. (June 5, 2024) – The NCAA national office announced its 2022-23 Academic Progress Rate (APR) for all NCAA Division I institutions on Tuesday, as the University of North Alabama finished with a 987 single-year-rate to set a new school record.
 
Additionally, UNA was three points above the Division I national average of 984 the NCAA reported for 2022-23.
 
The UNA beach volleyball program was highlighted in the report with an APR Public Recognition Award for being in the top 10 percent of all NCAA beach volleyball programs. This marks the first time UNA has had a program win the award.
 
"This is an exceptional academic accomplishment that stands out among UNA's peer Division I institutions," said UNA Director of Athletics Dr. Josh Looney. "Generating a year of record athletic department GPAs, academic retention and student-athlete graduation is the direct result of an aligned and engaged campus. Our student-athletes share this accomplishment alongside dedicated program leaders, faculty and academic support staff. I am so proud of the drive and commitment behind our athletic department's continued academic success."
 
Additionally, UNA had nine programs finish with a 1000 APR for the 2022-23 academic year, including men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's tennis, soccer, beach volleyball and softball.
 
According to the NCAA, each academic year, every Division I sports team's APR is calculated using a simple and consistent formula. Scholarship student-athletes can earn 1 point for staying on course for a degree in their chosen major and 1 point for being retained (or graduating) at the end of each academic term. For schools that do not offer athletics scholarships, recruited student-athletes are tracked.
 
"Credit goes to UNA's coaching staff for recruiting and retaining the right types of student-athletes, the academic support staff and faculty members for their dedication and the student-athletes who work in the classroom with their future in mind," said UNA Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Jeffery Ray. "This achievement is a reflection on the entire campus and can be celebrated by all of UNA."
 
The four-year Academic Progress Rate national average for Division I teams remained steady at 984 this year, as the division marked the 20th anniversary of APR data collection. During those 20 years, overall student-athlete academic success has risen substantially.
 
"Student-athletes have achieved incredible success in the classroom over the last 20 years, mostly due to the hard work and commitment to academic achievement by student-athletes on campuses across the country," said Dave Schnase, NCAA vice president for academic and membership affairs. "In addition, the unprecedented success is in part due to the work of the Committee on Academics and its predecessor, the Committee on Academic Performance. The policy changes they made, including initial-eligibility standards and progress-toward-degree requirements, along with on-campus support for student-athletes, contributed to the high rates we are seeing now."
 
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