Nov. 30, 2001

The University of Notre Dame ranks among the top NCAA Division I-A institutions in five major graduation rate categories — all student-athletes, football players, male student-athletes, female student-athletes and African-American student-athletes — according to statistics released this fall by the NCAA.

The 2001 NCAA Graduation-Rates Report, the 11th-such survey issued by the association, covers students who enrolled between 1991 and 1994 at Division I institutions, including 114 in Division I-A. The NCAA bases graduation rates on the raw percentage of student-athletes who entered an institution and graduated within six years. Students who leave or transfer, regardless of academic standing, are considered non-graduates.

Using the NCAA formula, Notre Dame graduated a four-year average of 85 percent of its student-athletes, fourth behind Northwestern (92 percent), Duke (91) and Stanford (88).

Among student-athletes who complete all four years of athletic eligibility at Notre Dame, not considering those who leave or transfer, 99 percent earn their degrees. The national average for Division I-A schools is 58 percent.

Notre Dame graduated 90 percent of all women competing in varsity athletics, to rank fifth in that category behind leader Northwestern at 98 percent. Among men, Notre Dame’s 82 percent rate is fourth behind Duke at 90 percent, Northwestern at 88 percent and Stanford at 85 percent.

Notre Dame graduated 73 percent of its African-American student-athletes, ranking behind only Duke, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Northwestern and Rice.

Notre Dame football players graduated at a 74 percent rate, higher than the percentage posted by 14 of the 15 institutions listed in this week’s Bowl Championship Series rankings (only Stanford at 83 percent is higher).

Here are the top 10 institutions in each of the five categories:

ALL STUDENT-ATHLETES1. Northwestern     92%2. Duke         91%3. Stanford     88%4. Notre Dame       85%5. Boston College   82%     Rice       82%7. Virginia     79%     Vanderbilt     79%9. Penn State       77%10. Iowa        73%     Wake Forest    73%
FOOTBALL PLAYERS1. Duke         89%2. Northwestern     86%3. Rice         85%4. Stanford     83%5. Boston College   78%6. Vanderbilt       76%    Tulane      76%8. Notre Dame       74%9. Virginia     72%    Baylor      72%    Syracuse    72%
MALE STUDENT-ATHLETES1. Duke         90%2. Northwestern     88%3. Stanford     85%4. Notre Dame       82%5. Rice         81%6. Boston College   77%     Virginia       77%8. Vanderbilt       74%9. Wake Forest      70%     SMU        70%     Tulane     70%
FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETES1. Northwestern     98%2. Stanford     93%3. Duke         92%4. Vanderbilt       91%5. Notre Dame       90%6. Boston College   88%7. Virginia Tech    86%    Penn State  86%9. Michigan     85%    Akron       85%
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENT-ATHLETES1. Duke         84%2. Vanderbilt       82%3. Stanford     81%4. Northwestern     80%5. Rice         78%6. Notre Dame       73%     Boston College 73%8. Virginia     69%     Penn State     69%     Iowa       69%