Oct. 14, 2008

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 today by the NCAA - including first-place or second-place ratings in the sports of football, men's basketball and women's basketball.

Among the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision institutions, Notre Dame had the highest percentage of its sports with 100 percent scores, with a .863 figure (19 of 22).

In football, Notre Dame achieved a 94 GSR rating, with only the U.S. Naval Academy (at 95) ranking higher among FBS schools.

Here are the FBS institutions with scores of 80 or higher in that category:

Score	Institution
95	U.S. Naval Academy
94	Notre Dame
93	Stanford
92	Boston College, Duke, Northwestern
91	Vanderbilt
90	U.S. Air Force Academy
87	U.S. Military Academy
83	Miami (Ohio), Wake Forest
82	Rice
81	Ohio University
80	Southern Mississippi

In men's basketball, Notre Dame achieved a perfect 100 GSR rating, with only Bowling Green, Florida State, Utah State and Wake Forest also reaching the top slot.

Here are the FBS institutions with scores of 80 or higher in that category:

Score	Institution
100	Bowling Green, Florida State, Notre Dame, Utah State, Wake Forest
97	U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy
92	Oklahoma State
91	BYU, Marshall, U.S. Air Force Academy
90	Northwestern
89	Duke, Florida
86	North Carolina, Wisconsin
83	Colorado State, Rice, SMU
82	Alabama, Northern Illinois
80	Hawaii, Illinois, Ohio University, Troy, Vanderbilt

In women's basketball, Notre Dame also achieved a 100 GSR rating, as one of 26 Division I-A football-playing institutions with a perfect score.

Here are the FBS institutions with scores of 90 or higher in that category:

Score	Institution
100	Boise State, Boston College, BYU, UCLA, Clemson, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kent State, Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon State, Rice, Stanford, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Toledo, Tulane, U.S. Naval Academy, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Washington
98	U.S. Military Academy
95	Ball State
93	Bowling Green, Colorado State, Iowa State, Memphis, Miami (Ohio), Nevada, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Wyoming
92	Arkansas, Central Florida, East Carolina, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, SMU, Virginia Tech
91	Buffalo, Washington State
90	Arizona State, Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina

The national GSR for 2008 for Division I-A is 78 percent. Only team rates were released. The fourth-year GSR data is based upon the entering classes from 1998 to 2001.

In addition to men's and 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, men's lacrosse, 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. Hockey received a 96, football earned a 94, and men's golf received