Colgate is No. 1 in graduation rate, says NCAA

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Once again, Colgate is No. 1.

The university recorded a 100 percent graduation success rate for its student-athletes, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

That figure is the best of all Division I schools. Last year, Colgate shared the No. 1 ranking with Notre Dame, with each school garnering a 99 percent graduate rate.

“We strive to be No. 1 in everything we do here,” said Colgate President Jeffrey Herbst. “To be acknowledged in this way by the NCAA is a tribute to not only our accomplished student-athletes but also to the outstanding support they receive from the athletics department and the entire campus community.”

Colgate’s success rate outpaced the national average of 79 percent. The NCAA report covered Division I athletes entering school between 2000-01 and 2003-04 who earned a degree within six years.

The NCAA data differs from federal graduation statistics because it accounts for students who transfer. The NCAA’s figures, unlike the federal ones, do not penalize an institution for athletes who leave to attend other colleges, as long as they depart in good academic standing.

See the national rankings as compiled by USA Today and The Chronicle of Higher Education.