Oct. 5, 2007

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - University of Notre Dame athletic programs again rank among the best in the country in graduation rates, based on Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figures released Wednesday by the NCAA.

Among the 120 NCAA Division I-A football-playing institutions, Notre Dame had the highest percentage of its sports with 100 percent scores, with a .818 figure (18 of 22). Here are the top 10 in that category:

Institution (Percentage, 100 Scores/Sports Rated)
1. NOTRE DAME (.818, 18/22)
2. Northwestern (.778, 14/18)
3. Duke (.727, 16/22)
4. Vanderbilt (.667, 8/12)
5. Boston College (.643, 18/28)
6. U.S. Naval Academy (.632, 12/19)
7. Wake Forest (.571, 8/14)
8. Rice (.539, 7/13)
9. SMU (.533, 8/15)
10. Illinois (.529, 9/17)

In football, Notre Dame achieved a 93 GSR rating, with only the U.S. Naval Academy (at 95) and Northwestern (94) ranking higher. Here are the institutions with scores of 80 or higher in that category:

Score, Institution
95, U.S. Naval Academy
94, Northwestern
93, NOTRE DAME, Boston College, Duke, Stanford
92, U.S. Air Force Academy
91, Vanderbilt
90, Wake Forest
87, U.S. Military Academy
85, Rice
84, Baylor, SMU
83, Nebraska
81, Ball State, Kent State, Southern Mississippi

In men's basketball, Notre Dame achieved a 91 GSR rating, with only Florida, Florida State, Wake Forest and Western Kentucky (each at 100) and the U.S. Naval Academy (97) and U.S. Military Academy (96) ranking higher. Here are the institutions with scores of 80 or higher in that category:

Score, Institution
100, Florida, Florida State, Wake Forest, Western Kentucky
97, U.S. Naval Academy
96, U.S. Military Academy
91, NOTRE DAME, Purdue, U.S. Air Force Academy
89, Bowling Green, Northwestern, Utah State
86, North Carolina, Ohio
85, Marshall, Rice
83, Vanderbilt
82, SMU, Southern Mississippi
80, Alabama, Illinois, Troy, Virginia

In women's basketball, Notre Dame achieved a 100 GSR rating, as one of 23 Division I-A football-playing institutions with a perfect score. Here are the institutions with scores of 90 or higher in that category:

Score, Institution
100, Boston College, Clemson, East Carolina, Florida, Illinois, Kent State, Miami (Fla.), U.S. Naval Academy, Nebraska, Northwestern, NOTRE DAME, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Rice, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Troy, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Washington
97, U.S. Military Academy
94, BYU, Nevada
93, Bowling Green, Colorado State, Michigan State, Temple, Tulane, Wyoming
92, Akron, Arkansas, Central Florida, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Purdue, SMU, Stanford, UCLA, Washington, Western Kentucky
91, Toledo
90, Duke, Penn State

The national GSR for 2007 for Division I-A is 77 percent. Only team rates were released. The third-year GSR data is based upon the entering classes from 1997 to 2000.

In addition to women's basketball, other Notre Dame programs recording 100 GSR scores were baseball, men's cross country/track, women's cross country/track, men's fencing, women's fencing, women's golf, ice hockey, women's lacrosse, rowing, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming, women's swimming, men's tennis, women's tennis and volleyball. Men's lacrosse received a 97, and men's golf received a 91.

-- ND --