BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — NCAA Research , which conducts national research for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) members on many topics including academic performance, student-athlete well-being, finance and diversity issues, released an analysis of average core high school grade point averages among NCAA Division I first-year student-athletes based on data collected during 2017-18.
Among men’s sports, water polo ranks fifth highest with an average GPA of 3.53 – 0.04 higher than men’s golf and .01 off the mark of cross country – and well head of the average core high school GPA among Division I men’s student-athletes of 3.3. Fencing (3.80), gymnastics (3.72), swimming & diving (3.58) and cross country (3.54) were the only sports to top men’s water polo with gold (3.49), volleyball (3.45), wrestling (3.41), lacrosse (3.39), soccer (3.39), tennis (3.38), baseball (3.38), track (3.37), ice hockey (3.35), skiing (3.18), football (3.13) and basketball (3.07) all trailing behind.
Women’s water polo has a 3.58 to stand on par with the average Division I women’s high school core GPA of 3.6. Gymnastics (3.77), beach volleyball (3.76), swimming & diving (3.73), fencing (3.73), skiing (3.73), cross country (3.72), ice hockey (3.66), soccer (3.65), golf (3.64), lacrosse (3.64), volleyball (3.62), rowing (3.61), softball (3.61), field hockey (3.60), track (3.59), water polo (3.58), tennis (3.51), bowling (3.50) and basketball (3.41) rank from No. 1-to-19 as the lowest women’s GPA ties or exceeds 10 men’s sports.
