Oct. 14, 2008

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The latest NCAA report on graduation rates shows Western Washington University student-athletes once again graduating at rates above the national average for NCAA Division II.

Both the federally mandated graduation rate and the NCAA Academic Success Rate show that Western student-athletes entering between 1998 and 2001 graduated at a rate better than the national average for Division II.

The 2008 findings show 63 percent of Viking student-athletes receive their degrees in six years or less based on the Federal Graduation Rate formula. That was higher than both the national average for NCAA II schools (55 percent), and the average for the nine schools in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (55 percent).

Using the NCAA Academic Success Rate, which includes all freshman student-athletes from the fall of 2001 and also accounts for student-athletes who transfer into or out of the institution, Western posted an 84 percent success rate, compared to the NCAA Division II national number of 70 percent.

The average ASR of the nine GNAC schools was 75 percent.

The 2008 Federal Graduation Rate Reports are based on student-athletes who entered universities during the 2001-02 academic year and graduated in six years or less. Student-athletes are defined as those "who received athletics aid" such as grants, scholarships, tuition waivers or other assistance from the institution upon initial enrollment.