DAVIS, Calif. - Led by perfect Academic Progress Rate scores from men’s cross country, women’s water polo, tennis and golf, UC Davis once again showed it’s achieving at a high rate in the classroom as seven Aggie teams – including football which leads the Big Sky for the fourth straight year – posted the highest scores in their respective conferences, according to information released by the NCAA on Wednesday.

In addition to those five teams, UC Davis also had Big West members softball (997) and baseball (991) post conference-best scores. In all, 12 teams are in the top two of their respective conferences while 17 of the 23 varsity programs are in the top three. The average APR for the Aggies’ 23 teams is an impressive 988, higher than the national average of 979.

Women’s water polo, softball, football and baseball were alone in the top spot in their conferences while women’s golf, women’s tennis and men’s cross country shared top honors.

The APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each term by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The most recent APR data covers the 2011-12 through 2014-15 academic years. Student-athletes receive one point for remaining eligible to compete and another for returning to school. The total points are divided by the total possible points.

“Division I student-athletes learn to balance playing a sport they love with the pursuit of a degree, and we honor their continued success in the classroom. The APR data prove that students can achieve both academically and athletically,” said Mark Emmert, NCAA President. “Supporting our students as they work toward graduation is a top priority of everyone involved in college athletics.”

UC Davis’ four teams that achieved perfect scores of 1,000 were honored last week with NCAA Public Recognition Awards, which are bestowed upon teams that are in the top 10 percent of their respective sports. It’s the Aggies’ most in the decade they’ve been reporting scores. 

The football program earned the highest APR in the Big Sky for the fourth year in a row, which represents every year it’s been a member of the league. It’s the second-longest active football streak in the country. The Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association has honored UC Davis for having the Big Sky’s highest APR the past three years. The organization presents its annual awards in the summer.

UC Davis holds memberships in the Big West, Big Sky and America East conferences as well as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and the Western Water Polo Association.