CHICAGO -- UIC continued its ascent in the classroom as the NCAA released the four-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) for 2016-17. As a group, the Flames picked up four points from a year ago for an overall APR score of 982. It is the second consecutive year that UIC has added four points to its previous mark.

Four teams, the most in program history, received a perfect APR score of 1,000. That group, which includes women's gymnastics, softball, women's cross country and women's track and field earned perfect marks of 1,000 and last week each received an NCAA Public Recognition Award for finishing in the top 10 percent of their respective sports. Women's gymnastics has earned an APR score of 1,000 in each of the last four years, dating back to the 2013-14 report.

Ten of UIC's 18 programs were at or above the national average of 983. Those teams include the four mentioned above plus women's soccer, women's basketball, women's tennis, women's swimming and diving, volleyball and men's tennis.

"At UIC, our academic success is just as important as anything we do in competition," said UIC Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy. "We are tasked with preparing our student-athletes to become leaders in our communities and it's exciting to see the great things we're accomplishing in the classroom. As always, the praise starts with the student-athletes, but it also extends to our coaches and academic support, both in our department and on campus, for the hard work they put in to achieve greatness."

"We've seen a remarkable evolutionary shift in Division I over the last 14 years. Administrators, coaches and students all make academic achievement and graduation top focus areas," said NCAA President Mark Emmert. "The APR is  a powerful metric that leads ultimately to more graduates and more student-athletes with better opportunities after college."

To compete in the 2018-19 postseason, teams must achieve a 930 four-year APR. NCAA members chose the 930 standard because that score predicts, on average, a 50 percent graduation rate for teams at that APR level. Additionally, teams must earn at least a 930 four-year APR to avoid penalties. All UIC programs are well above the threshold.

Every Division I sports team across the nation calculates its Academic Progress Rate each academic year, like a report card. Scholarship student-athletes each semester earn one point for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating.

To read the full NCAA APR release, please click here.