La Jolla, California - The University of California San Diego is one of only 32 schools honored with the 2017 Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence, the Presidents Council recently announced.

The accolade is awarded for achieving a four-year academic success rate of 90 percent or higher from 2007-10. 

The Academic Success Rate (ASR) is the percentage of student-athletes who graduate within six years of initial collegiate enrollment. This includes nearly every Division II student-athlete, including transfers and those who don’t receive athletics scholarships.

UC San Diego is tied for 11th in ASR at 94 percent, and is the only California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) institution on the list. In addition, UC San Diego has received the award every year since its inception in 2001, and its lowest ASR is 93.

The national average for Division II student-athletes who entered college from 2007-10 is 72 percent. Overall, it was an increase of one percentage point from the 2006-09 groups.

“Division II operates with a ‘Life in the Balance’ approach, emphasizing learning, growth and development through academics, athletics, community engagement and post-graduation success,” said Glen Jones, president of Henderson State and chair of the Division II Presidents Council. “Academics is a key component of this balance, and I am proud of the commitment our schools have made to this philosophy and the magnificent achievements for our student-athletes.”

Previously this fall, UC San Diego had 78 student-athletes named CCAA All-Academic for 2016-17. The requirements included maintaining a grade-point average of 3.40 or higher in a minimum of 24 semester or 36 quarter units. 

UC San Diego has led the CCAA in All-Academic selections in 11 of the last 12 years.

The full list of Presidents’ Award recipients is below: