Rider Athletics enjoys academic success in 2020-21

In the most recent NCAA report, Rider had a 98% Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and a 984 Academic Progress Rate. Eight individual teams posted perfect 100 GSR scores and all 20 programs had a GSR over the national average in their respective sports. Additionally, four teams posted a perfect 1,000 APR score.

"This past year was obviously unprecedented in so many ways," says Senior Associate Athletic Director Greg Busch. "For our student-athletes to then achieve such unprecedented results academically during it speaks to the commitment they and their coaches have to their academic success. They should all be commended for an outstanding year in the classroom and also on the playing fields."
 
Of Rider's 20 programs, 17 saw year over year improvement in team GPA and 19 programs had a team GPA over 3.0. Both the male and female student-athletes maintained a higher average GPA than the overall student body.

Highlighting the academic achievement were 187 student-athletes being named Academic All-Conference. One hundred and sixty six student-athletes from 18 teams were named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Academic Honor Roll for having a 3.2 or better grade point average. The Rider Field Hockey Team placed 20 student-athletes on the NEC Academic Honor Roll, which carries the same 3.2 GPA criteria. Rider's 20th sport, wrestling, had one of its athletes honored on the Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team for having competed in 50% of the team's competitions and compiling a 3.2 GPA or better.
 
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) recognized both the men's and women's teams with the distinction of Scholar All-America team, while The College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) awarded Scholar All-American recognition to both men's and women's swimming & diving teams. This is the 11th-straight year these teams have been honored with this distinction.
 
The Rider University field hockey team was also recognized by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) for maintaining a team GPA of over 3.0. This is the 10th-straight year this team has been honored with this distinction. Eighteen of 22 student-athletes on the team earned National Academic Squad honors by maintaining a GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, including Rylee Diffenderfer and Amanda Zambrana, who additionally were named Scholars of Distinction for carrying a GPA of at least 3.9.
 
Rider's women's volleyball program also earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Academic Award for the sixth year in a row, representative of a 3.30 or higher team GPA.
 
In addition, the men's soccer earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the eighth-straight year. The women's team posted a GPA high enough to qualify for the award for the 12th-straight year.