Smart Dawgs: Student-Athlete Graduation Rate Exceeds National Average

Husky Figures Rank High in Pac-10 Comparison

Seattle, WA -- Student-athletes at Washington are graduating above the national average for other Division I programs according to the latest graduation rate figures released by the NCAA.

According to the NCAA report of the federally mandated Graduation Rates, 68 percent of all Husky student-athletes who entered Division I colleges and universities in 1997 graduated in the six-year window established by the U.S. Department of Education as the standard. The new rate is six percentage points better than student-athletes at other Division I institutions.

Washington's graduation rate for those individuals (448) who have exhausted their eligibility since entering the University in 1987 was 90 percent.

Using the freshman class of 1997-98, Husky student-athletes graduated at 68 percent over the six-year period used to compile the report. The national average for Division I institutions was 62 percent. Washington's graduation rate was its second highest since the Department of Education began tracking graduation in 1984. Last year's 70-percent mark was the highest. The overall Division I mark of 62 percent equaled last year's number which was the highest since the origination of the report.

The Huskies' graduation rate for its student athletes trails the average for all University of Washington students by just three percentage points.

"We are pleased that our numbers are above those of the national average," said Husky athletics director Todd Turner. "That reflects the strong commitment we have to the academic mission of our student-athletes. At the same time, our goal is to see all of our student-athletes receive their degrees. Washington's adjusted rate shows we are pretty close to that goal."

UW's football grad rate was 65 percent (third best among Pac-10 schools), which was 10 percent better than the national average.

The complete Graduation Rates Report is available at http://www.ncaa.org

Comparison Among Pac-10 Schools