LEXINGTON, Ky. – The NCAA released its Academic Progress Rate report Tuesday, showing that all University of Kentucky sports teams surpassed the NCAA goal score.
With all Kentucky team scores combined, UK notched an overall mark of 991 out of a possible 1,000 – five points higher than the national overall APR of 986. Fourteen of the 20 UK team scores exceeded the national average in their sports.
Eight Kentucky teams – women’s basketball, women’s cross country, men’s golf, women’s golf, gymnastics, softball, women’s tennis and volleyball – led the way with perfect 1,000 marks over the previous four years. Having eight teams notch perfect scores over a four-year period ties the school record set two years ago.
Nine Kentucky teams – the eight teams above plus baseball (998 APR) – received an NCAA Public Recognition Award for finishing in the top 10 percent of their sport.
The APR marks are a four-year composite, covering the 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, taking a real-time look at academic success of scholarship student-athletes. The APR measures academic eligibility, retention and graduation.
Every Division I sports team across the nation calculates its APR each academic year, similar to a report card. Each semester, scholarship athletes earn one point for remaining on track to earn a degree and one point for staying in school or graduating.
The NCAA goal score is a four-year APR of 930. Teams scoring below 930 can face consequences, such as practice restrictions, playing-season reductions or disqualification from postseason, to direct more focus on academics.
Fourteen of UK’s 20 team scores exceeded the national average in their sport, including baseball (998), men’s basketball (994), women’s basketball (1,000), men’s cross country (993), women’s cross country (1,000), football (977), men’s golf (1,000), women’s golf (1,000), gymnastics (1,000), rifle (994), softball (1,000), women’s tennis (1,000), men’s track & field (980) and volleyball (1,000).
Another highlight was that 13 UK teams notched a perfect 1,000 score for 2024-25, the most recent school year in the report: the eight 1,000 teams mentioned above, along with men’s basketball, men’s cross country, rifle, women’s swimming and men’s tennis.
With each team exceeding the NCAA goal score, no Wildcat squads are subject to penalties. None of UK’s teams have incurred a penalty during the 22-year history of the APR.
Guided by UK Athletics’ Student-Athlete Experience Division, Tuesday’s news is a continuation of the academic accomplishments of UK student-athletes:
- Spring graduation this week will mark yet another milestone of academic success as UK Athletics anticipates a total of 122 graduates during the 2025-26 school year, including the December commencement.
- The 2025 fall semester was the 27th straight for UK Athletics with a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average. The 2026 spring semester grades will be available next week.
- 55 Wildcats were named recently to the 2025-26 Winter Sports Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll for having a 3.0 grade-point average for the preceding academic year or a cumulative 3.0 GPA.
- In the most recent NCAA Graduation Success Rate report, UK set a school record of 93 percent, three points above the national average of 90 percent.
