RUSTON – LA Tech registered its highest ever multi-year average (968.2) and highest ever single-year average (975.6) as the most recent Academic Progress Rates (APR) were released by the NCAA Wednesday.
 
All 16 of Louisiana Tech's Division I sanctioned programs remained penalty-free while five programs recorded a perfect 1,000 single-year APR score. Men's cross country, women's cross country, bowling, tennis and volleyball all recorded a perfect single-year rate, the second most ever at LA Tech in an academic year. 
 
APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each quarter back tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete.  The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a picture of the academic culture in each sport.  Each sport earns a single-year rate and then a multi-year rate which is a four-year average of the single-year rates.
 
"We are incredibly proud and appreciative of the hard work and dedication our Louisiana Tech student-athletes continue to show in the classroom," said Tech Athletics Director Tommy McClelland.  "Their commitment, as well as the commitment of our faculty, coaches and support staff, has resulted in great academic success.  We continue to strive for building champions in the classroom, on the playing fields and in life."  
 
The most recent APR scores are based on a multi-year rate that averages scores from the 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years.
 
A total of 11 programs (men's basketball, men's cross country, football, men's track, women's basketball, bowling, women's cross country, soccer, tennis, women's track and volleyball) posted an improvement in their single-year rates. 
 
Meanwhile, eight programs saw an improvement in the four-year multi-scores including men's basketball, men's cross country, football, men's track, women's basketball, soccer and volleyball.  Both soccer and football set new highs in multi-year rates at 988 and 954, respectively. 
 
LA Tech's student-athletes recorded a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 79 percent while also graduating at a higher rate than the student body, according to the NCAA's 2018 Graduation Success Rata data. 
 
In this year's report, LA Tech garnered a four-year Federal Graduation Rate of 60 percent.  The four-year Federal Graduation Rate for all students during the same period is 53 percent.