SAN DIEGO - Point Loma Nazarene University finished tied for second amongst 317 schools in 2018 for the Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence with an Academic Success Rate of 97 percent.
 
"All the accolades go to the student-athletes," said Point Loma's 10th-year Athletic Director Ethan Hamilton. "This is a mark that recognizes multiple years in a row of our student-athletes developing a reputation of having success in the classroom. I am extremely thankful to the coaches, staff and the faculty that have made this work."
 
The Academic Success Rate is the percentage of student-athletes who graduate within six years of initial enrollment in college and includes virtually all Division II student-athletes, including transfers and those not receiving athletics scholarships.
 
In the past five years, Point Loma won the President's Award for Academic Excellence in both 2016 and 2017 in addition to finishing second twice and third once. Only Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., can boast a run that could match the Sea Lions during that period.
 
Point Loma has had at least a 97 percent Academic Success Rate in all five years, including reaching 99 percent in 2016.  Only 29 institutions in the country reached the 90 percent mark in 2018 to earn this prestigious honor.
 
"This award is a culmination of everything," continued Hamilton. "You talk about our student-athletes graduating and that is why college athletics was initially formed; to create an avenue for people to come to college, compete in a sport, and graduate. It is great to see the well-roundedness of our entire athletic program this year."
 
Bentley University led all of NCAA Division II with an Academic Success Rate of 99 percent. PLNU's 97 percent Academic Success Rate tied it for second in all of NCAA Division II with Seattle Pacific, Hillsdale, Thomas Jefferson and Saint Michael's.
 
"The schools we recognize with the Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence demonstrate a firm commitment to support the academic success of student-athletes," said Glen Jones, president of Henderson State and chair of the Division II Presidents Council. "We commend them for their ongoing efforts to provide student-athletes with the opportunity to excel in the classroom, on the field and for life."

The Academic Success Rate is the percentage of student-athletes who graduate within six years of initial collegiate enrollment and includes virtually all Division II student-athletes, including transfers and those not receiving athletic scholarships.

The Division II ASR also captures about 48 percent more student-athletes than the federal graduation rate. Unlike the federal rate, the ASR counts nonscholarship student-athletes and those who transfer to a school after initial enrollment elsewhere, while removing student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible. The national ASR for the four cohorts of student-athletes who entered college from 2008 to 2011 is 73 percent, up 1 point from the previous four-year cohort (2007-10).

Division II student-athletes continue to graduate at a higher rate than the general student body. The federal rate for the 2011 entering class of student-athletes increased 1 point to 57 percent, compared with 50 percent for the general student body.
 
To see the NCAA release on the 2018 Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence and graduation rates, click here.