Kentucky's men's basketball program received an award for their Academic Progress Rate on Wednesday.

John Calipari's program was one of four UK teams (men's golf, softball and volleyball) that placed in the top 10 percent of Division I schools in their respective sports.

The APR measures athletes eligibility, retention and graduation and it's a four-year composite. UK's program was recognized for APR scores from the 2012-2013 to 2015-2016 athletic and academic years.

“We have graduated 17 players over the last eight years,” Calipari said in a release. “Our kids who leave early leave in good academic standing so they can come back anytime they choose to finish their degree. They have lifetime scholarships here at Kentucky. We already have players who have left early who have begun that process. I said this a year ago: Whether it’s getting off a plane at 2 in the morning and going to class the next day or sitting in a classroom and doing projects with the student body, it’s well known that our kids are committed to learning. They have curious minds and are on the paths to being lifelong learners. Winning the APR award for a third-straight year is based on all of those things. Congratulations to (academic counselor) Mike Stone and the entire CATS staff for instilling that mindset in our kids.”

The NCAA won't release other school's APR scores for a few weeks, but poor APR scores can lead to problems with the NCAA, including postseason bans.

Some in the past have criticized John Calipari for not taking academics seriously, but APR scores say otherwise.

“I’m proud of how all our teams have achieved their APR scores over the years,” said Mitch Barnhart, UK Director of Athletics. “Earning a top-10 award is a difficult and significant achievement. It is a credit to the students for their diligence, to the academic support staff for their guidance, and to Coach (John) Calipari, Coach (Brian) Craig, Coach (Rachel) Lawson and Coach (Craig) Skinner for their success in managing their programs.”

This is the fourth time in school history that Kentucky men's basketball received the APR award and the third consecutive year.