July 21, 2006

SEATTLE - The University of Washington is no stranger to success in its intercollegiate athletics program. From its national championship volleyball and rowing squads to the 34 student-athletes who earned All-America honors, the UW's athletic profile is among the best in the nation.

Did you know...? Washington has the highest student-athlete graduation rate among Division IA public institutions on the West Coast.

Just as the bar is set at a high level on the field, Husky student-athletes also are achieving academic success at an impressive rate. The latest graduation rate report produced by the NCAA show Washington as having the highest graduation rate among Division IA public institutions on the West Coast and the second-highest among the schools in the Pacific-10 Conference.

One-half of the nearly 600 student-athletes at the UW recorded a grade point average surpassing 3.0 during the recently-completed spring quarter. 92 student-athletes were honored as Dean's List recipients and five registered a perfect 4.0 for the quarter. Of UW's 21 sports (indoor/outdoor track and field count as one), 12 registered a team GPA over a 3.0 during the spring.

"The entire Husky athletics family takes a great deal of pride in the accomplishments of UW athletes in the classroom," said Todd Turner, UW's director of athletics. "It is wonderful to see this level of academic success, particularly in a year that had so many athletic highlights as well. I believe Washington has carved out an enviable niche in the world of college athletics, with a solid record and reputation for high end achievement in both athletics and academics."

Student-athletes at the University of Washington graduate at the second-highest rate in the Pac-10 Conference and the highest among public Division IA institutions on the West Coast. According to the latest NCAA graduation rate report, the four-class average of student-athletes entering school in 1988-99 graduated at a rate of 68 percent. That eclipses the national Division I average of 62 percent.

UW's student-athlete graduation success rate, a recent metric designed by the NCAA that includes all first-time freshmen and transfers, is listed at 84 percent, which ranks as the second-best among all Division I public institutions on the West Coast and is significantly better than the national Division I average of 74 percent.

Last month, 117 Husky student-athletes were among the more than 5,000 UW students to earn their degrees while 171 athletes earned various Pac-10 Conference academic awards during the season.