Lafayette achieved a 97% graduation success rate for student-athletes from the NCAA across all athletic programs, tying with Lehigh and Colgate for second in the Patriot League.
According to Director of Athletics Sherryta Freeman, the diversity of academic support the school provides consistently helps the program rank among the top for Division I athletics.
“I think our commitment to allocating staff members whose primary responsibilities center around student-athlete success creates the foundation for academic excellence,” Freeman wrote in an email. “Our student-athletes benefit from the overall strength of our institution’s academic programs and commitment to teaching and learning.”
The graduation success rate, or GSR, was calculated for students who entered college in 2017. The 6-year graduation window for the cohort was marked by several notable events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the opening of the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness deals.
This year’s GSR is slightly down from last year’s rate of 98%, a score that Bucknell and Holy Cross tied for first in the Patriot League with this year. The overall graduation rate for the Lafayette student body was 88% in the past six years.
Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Success Carly Riepenhoff implements multiple study programs for first-year student-athletes, which Riepenhoff believes contributes to the academic success of Lafayette athletes. Study Flex requires student-athletes to log a certain number of hours in an academic setting each week. In addition, each first-year student is paired with a peer mentor who guides them throughout the year.
“We match them up with a mentor in the same major, if possible, and outside their sport to allow for relationships to form beyond a student-athletes’ own team,” Riepenhoff wrote in an email. “The weekly meetings are mandatory and many student-athletes credit their successful college transition to the advanced support their Peer Mentor provided while also developing a strong bond that lasts beyond [their first year].”
The athletics department has several other policies in place to ensure academic excellence at Lafayette. Competition schedules have a process of approval that prioritizes the minimization of missed class time and allows adequate time for Study Flex.
Freeman wrote that the recruiting process for each sport further emphasizes the importance of high academic aspirations for incoming student-athletes.
“Our coaches and enrollment team prioritize the identification and recruitment of prospective student-athletes that are committed to their education and future careers,” Freeman wrote. “We will continue to prioritize academic excellence and assess the resources needed to meet those goals as the experience of student-athletes continues to evolve.”