IRVINE, Calif. - The NCAA has released its latest Academic Progress Rates (APR), and all of UC Irvine's athletic programs easily surpassed the minimum requirement of 930, with the department as a whole posting an average score of 977.
 
Each of the Anteaters' 18 sports featured in the annual report had multi-year scores of 950 or higher. Ten of those teams were above 980, and five were over 990.
 
Women's cross country led the way with a perfect score of 1,000, resulting in a Public Recognition Award for the ninth year in a row. The award is given to programs that score in the top 10 percent of their sport in the most recent multi-year APR. Men's golf (996), women's volleyball (994), men's tennis (992) and men's water polo (991) rounded out the five UCI teams above 990.
 
The APR creates a real-time look at a team's academic success by tracking the progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. It accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation, and provides a measure of each team's academic performance. The current APR scores reflect academic rates from the 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years.
 
To compete in the 2019-20 postseason, teams must achieve a minimum 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.