Santa Clara University Reports Highest Graduation Rates in the West Coast Conference

Student-athletes at Santa Clara University graduate at the highest rate in the West Coast Conference, the second-highest among Division I institutions in the state of California and has recorded its second-highest percentage in the last decade, according to a annual report released recently by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Student-athletes at Santa Clara University graduate at the highest rate in the West Coast Conference, the second-highest among Division I institutions in the state of California and has recorded its second-highest percentage in the last decade, according to a annual report released recently by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

According to the report, SCU student-athletes graduated at a four-year average rate, ending with freshman entering school in 1995-96, of 81 percent while the overall student body at the institution graduated at an identical rate of 81 percent. Santa Clara's student-athlete graduation rate is considerably higher than the NCAA Division I average of 59 percent for student-athletes and the 70 percent average for Division I private institutions.

"Santa Clara University has long been an institution committed to excellence in higher education and our athletics program is reflective of that high standard," said SCU Director of Athletics and Recreation Cheryl L. Levick. "Our student-athletes perform at a high level on the field and expect nothing less from themselves in the classroom. We are very proud of our graduation rate and expect it to remain among the highest levels in college athletics."

The current report's 81 percent graduation rate for SCU student-athletes equals the second highest ever for the institution since the NCAA began tracking the data in 1990. The highest student-athlete graduation rate for SCU, based on the four-year average, was an 82 percent rating for the class entering in 1988-89, which was released in the NCAA's 1995 report.

Santa Clara County possesses the two institutions with the highest graduation rate in the state of California in SCU and Stanford. Student-athletes at Stanford graduate at a rate of 89 percent, compared to the institution's four-class average for the overall student population of 92 percent. UC Santa Barbara was third in the state rankings, graduating student-athletes at a 74 percent rate.

Among West Coast Conference institutions, Santa Clara rated at the top of the list, seven percentage points ahead of second-place University of San Diego's 74 percent rate for student-athletes. Among the overall student population, SCU's league-leading 81 percent is 10 percentage points better than Loyola Marymount's second-best 71 percent.

About Santa Clara Athletics
Santa Clara University Department of Athletics and Recreation sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletics teams and competes as a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the West Coast Conference (WCC), the Western Intercollegiate Softball League and the Western Water Polo Association. The department enjoyed a successful 2001-2002 season, winning the school's first-ever NCAA women's soccer championship, four conference titles and finishing second in the league's annual all-sports competition. The Broncos also had six all-Americans, six national academic award winners, four conference coaches of the year, 48 all-conference performers and 14 academic all-conference award winners.