CHICAGO – The UIC Department of Athletics and its 300 scholar-athletes continue to raise the bar for academic success and competitive excellence at the NCAA Division I level, taking another step forward Tuesday with the announcement of the school's record-setting NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 994.
 
No fewer than five Flames athletics programs — men's cross country, men's track & field, women's golf, women's tennis and volleyball — received NCAA Public Recognition Awards after recording perfect multi-year APR scores of 1,000. These figures represent the average of an athletic program's single-year APR scores during the past four years. Tuesday's multi-year APR figures averaged single-year scores from the 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years.
 
"This historic APR achievement reflects the incredible dedication of our student-athletes, coaches and academic support staff," said Andrea Williams, UIC director of intercollegiate athletics. "At UIC, we emphasize the full student-athlete experience — striving for excellence in the classroom, in competition and in life. These results showcase what's possible when we align our goals with purpose, passion and support across the entire Flames community."
 
Along with the Flames' five perfect multi-year APR scores, three other UIC programs had multi-year marks at or above 984, the national average for the most recent four-year period —softball (997), baseball (993) and men's tennis (992). All 18 athletic programs at UIC had multi-year APR scores well above 930, the threshold required for NCAA postseason participation.
 
In addition, 11 Flames' programs posted perfect single-year APR scores for the 2023-24 academic year — men's cross country, men's tennis, men's track & field, women's cross country, women's golf, softball, women's soccer, women's swimming & diving, women's tennis, women's track & field and volleyball.
 
"Achieving a record Academic Performance Rate of 994, including five teams with a perfect multi-year rate of 1000, is a powerful reflection of how our Flames student-athletes continue to excel, both in competition and the classroom," said Karen Dixon, UIC associate athletics director for academic services. "This results from a true team effort — from the relentless commitment of our student-athletes to the unwavering support of our faculty, coaches, and campus leadership. It shows that at UIC, academic success and athletic achievement go hand in hand."
 
The NCAA implemented the APR in 2004 to provide a more real-time measurement of academic success than graduation rates offer. The team-based metric accounts for the eligibility and retention of scholar-athletes on athletic scholarships by awarding one point each term for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. APR figures for all institutions are available online through the NCAA's searchable database.
 
For more information on UIC athletics, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UICFlames) and Instagram (@uicflames).
 

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