Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Again Ranks in Top 10 Nationally in Graduation Rates
10/30/2007 8:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 30, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - According to federal data released by the NCAA on Tuesday, Bucknell's student-athlete graduation rate for individuals entering school in 2000-01 ranks 10th among all Division I institutions, while its four-class average for student-athletes entering between 1997-98 and 2000-01 ranks fourth nationally.
Bucknell has annually ranked among the national leaders in graduation rates, and this latest round of results was no different. With a four-class average rate of 90 percent, Bucknell was one of only five Division I institutions to hit the 90-percent mark, joining Davidson (91), Georgetown (91), Duke (91) and Stanford (90). Bucknell's 90-percent student-athlete rate was also slightly higher than the total student-body average of 89 percent.
Bucknell's graduation rate for just the class that entered in 2000-01 was 87 percent. Davidson was No. 1 in that listing at 98 percent, followed by Stanford (95), Georgetown (91), Colgate (90), Duke (90), Holy Cross (90), Notre Dame (90), Southern Methodist (90) and Fairfield (88).
Earlier this month the NCAA released its own Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data, which differs from the federal graduation-rate formula in that the GSR factors in transfer students who do graduate, and does not penalize schools for losing transfers who leave in good academic standing. Those findings revealed that 16 Bucknell varsity programs, including men's basketball, boasted perfect 100 percent GSRs, factoring student-athletes who entered school between the 1997-98 and 2000-01 academic years. Of Bucknell's 23 varsity sports considered in the study (cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field are combined, for GSR purposes), 20 had a GSR of 90 percent or better.
Bucknell's overall GSR of 94 percent also ranked favorably nationally. Notre Dame, Northwestern, Navy and Holy Cross had the highest mark of 98 percent.
Bucknell has topped the nation in graduation rates on numerous occasions, including in 2003, when it received a USA Today-NCAA Academic Achievement Award with a perfect 100 percent figure.
Bucknell sponsors 27 intercollegiate sports, including 14 for women, at the Division I level. It is a charter member of the Patriot League and has won the league's all-sports championship in 13 of the 17 years it has been contested, including 2006-07. Bucknell ranks fifth in Division I in producing Academic All-Americans.
