Oct. 27, 2010

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 ratings in the sports of football, men's basketball and women's basketball, and a close second in ice hockey. Among the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision institutions, Notre Dame had the highest percentage of its sports with 100 percent scores (for the fifth time in six years), with a .863 figure (19 of 22).

In football, Notre Dame achieved a 96 GSR rating for the highest figure among FBS schools. Here are the FBS institutions with scores of 80 or higher in that category:

Score		Institution
96		Notre Dame
95		Duke, Northwestern
93		Rice
92		U.S. Naval Academy
90		Boston College
89		Vanderbilt
88		Rutgers
86		Stanford, U.S. Air Force Academy
85		U.S. Military Academy
84		Penn State, Southern Mississippi
82		Washington
81		Cincinnati, Miami (Fla.), Wake Forest

In men's basketball, Notre Dame achieved a perfect 100 GSR rating, with only BYU, Illinois, Marshall, Utah State, Wake Forest and Western Kentucky also reaching the top slot.

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

Score		Institution
100		BYU, Illinois, Marshall, Notre Dame, Utah State, Wake Forest, Western Kentucky
93		TCU, Vanderbilt
92		Oklahoma State, SMU, U.S. Military Academy
91		Bowling Green, U.S. Air Force Academy
90		Northwestern
88		Boston College, North Carolina
87		Ohio University
86		Penn State
85		Tulane
83		Buffalo, Duke, Rice
82		Nebraska
80		Kansas, Miami (Ohio), Stanford

In women's basketball, Notre Dame also achieved a 100 GSR rating, as one of 30 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		Boston College, Bowling Green, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Iowa State, Iowa, Kent State, Memphis, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Mexico, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas Tech, UNLV, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Wyoming
97		U.S. Military Academy
94		Ball State, Central Florida, U.S. Naval Academy, Washington
93		Louisville, Oregon, UCLA
92		Arizona State, California, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Connecticut, Kansas State, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Rice, Tulane, Virginia Tech, Washington State, Western Michigan
91		Buffalo, Colorado, Kentucky, Syracuse
90		Rutgers

In hockey, Notre Dame achieved a 95 GSR rating, to rank second (behind the U.S. Air Force Academy at 96) among Division I-A football-playing institutions. Here are the FBS institutions with scores of 65 or higher in that category:

Score		Institution
96		U.S. Air Force Academy
95		Notre Dame
93		Bowling Green
87		Boston College
85		Connecticut
81		U.S. Military Academy
75		Michigan
70		Western Michigan
65		Michigan State
65		Miami (Ohio)

The national GSR for 2010 for the FBS (Division I-A) is 79 percent. Only team rates were released. The fourth-year GSR data is based upon the entering classes from 2000 to 2003.

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, men's golf, women's golf, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, rowing, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming, women's swimming, women's tennis and volleyball.