Graduation rates of America's top-ranked college football teams - noteworthy news

Black Issues in Higher Education, Jan 1, 2004

Graduation Rates of America's Top-Ranked College Football Teams

The college bowl games begin in December and wrap up in early January.
Following are the graduation rates for the Associated Press top 25
college football teams, Division I-A.

                              4-Class Freshman Rate

Top 25                    School's Overall       Student
                              Graduation %    Athletes %

 1 UNIV. OF S. CAL.                    73%           61%
 2 LOUISIANA STATE U.                  54%           52%
 3 UNIV. OF OKLA.                      51%           51%
 4 UNIV. OF MICHIGAN                   83%           73%
 5 UTEXAS-AUSTIN                       69%           57%
 6 UTENN-KNOXVILLE                     58%           54%
 7 OHIO STATE UNIV.                    56%           59%
 8 KANSAS STATE UNIV.                  53%           55%
 9 FLORIDA STATE UNIV.                 62%           57%
10 UNIV. OF MIAMI                      63%           53%
11 UNIV. OF GEORGIA                    67%           64%
12 PURDUE UNIV.                        63%           68%
13 UNIV. OF IOWA                       64%           70%
14 MIAMI UNIV. (OHIO)                  80%           71%
15 WASH. STATE UNIV.                   60%           63%
16 UNIV. OF MISS.                      53%           59%
17 UNIV. OF FLA.                       71%           52%
18 BOISE STATE UNIV.                   24%           54%
19 TEXAS CHRISTIAN U.                  64%           63%
20 W.VIRGINIA UNIV.                    55%           59%
21 OKLAHOMA STATE                      51%           38%
22 UNEB.-LINCOLN                       51%           59%
23 UMD-COLLEGE PARK                    65%           64%
24 UMINN-TWIN CITIES                   51%           59%
25 UNIV. OF UTAH                       47%           54%

                                    4-Class Freshman Rate

Top 25                          Black Football          White Football
                          Players Graduation %    Players Graduation %

 1 UNIV. OF S. CAL.                        61%                     60%
 2 LOUISIANA STATE U.                      34%                     56%
 3 UNIV. OF OKLA.                          28%                     41%
 4 UNIV. OF MICHIGAN                       36%                     58%
 5 UTEXAS-AUSTIN                           33%                     45%
 6 UTENN-KNOXVILLE                         26%                     78%
 7 OHIO STATE UNIV.                        28%                     58%
 8 KANSAS STATE UNIV.                      52%                     64%
 9 FLORIDA STATE UNIV.                     43%                     65%
10 UNIV. OF MIAMI                          47%                     57%
11 UNIV. OF GEORGIA                        51%                     86%
12 PURDUE UNIV.                            53%                     63%
13 UNIV. OF IOWA                           45%                     62%
14 MIAMI UNIV. (OHIO)                      25%                     70%
15 WASH. STATE UNIV.                       47%                     71%
16 UNIV. OF MISS.                          52%                     53%
17 UNIV. OF FLA.                           44%                     38%
18 BOISE STATE UNIV.                       57%                     47%
19 TEXAS CHRISTIAN U.                      50%                     61%
20 W.VIRGINIA UNIV.                        36%                     58%
21 OKLAHOMA STATE                          32%                     52%
22 UNEB.-LINCOLN                           41%                     69%
23 UMD-COLLEGE PARK                        38%                     71%
24 UMINN-TWIN CITIES                       31%                     58%
25 UNIV. OF UTAH                           42%                     ***

                          Fall 2002-03 FT Enrollment

Top 25                        Black    Black Student
                          Student %       Athletes %

 1 UNIV. OF S. CAL.            6.5%            34.0%
 2 LOUISIANA STATE U.          9.3%            33.2%
 3 UNIV. OF OKLA.              6.3%            27.2%
 4 UNIV. OF MICHIGAN           8.1%            16.8%
 5 UTEXAS-AUSTIN               3.6%            24.9%
 6 UTENN-KNOXVILLE             7.1%            28.7%
 7 OHIO STATE UNIV.            8.1%            16.3%
 8 KANSAS STATE UNIV.          2.6%            21.8%
 9 FLORIDA STATE UNIV.        12.2%            34.5%
10 UNIV. OF MIAMI              9.3%            36.2%
11 UNIV. OF GEORGIA            5.1%            31.4%
12 PURDUE UNIV.                3.2%            18.8%
13 UNIV. OF IOWA               2.3%            13.7%
14 MIAMI UNIV. (OHIO)          3.6%            15.0%
15 WASH. STATE UNIV.           3.1%            22.1%
16 UNIV. OF MISS.             13.0%            40.6%
17 UNIV. OF FLA.               8.6%            30.0%
18 BOISE STATE UNIV.           1.2%            14.2%
19 TEXAS CHRISTIAN U.          4.8%            33.0%
20 W.VIRGINIA UNIV.            4.3%            25.1%
21 OKLAHOMA STATE              3.3%            20.1%
22 UNEB.-LINCOLN               2.0%            13.9%
23 UMD-COLLEGE PARK           12.1%            19.6%
24 UMINN-TWIN CITIES           4.0%            15.6%
25 UNIV. OF UTAH               0.8%             9.1%

* Freshmen-cohort rate for those entering in 1996-97 which includes
those who entered as freshmen in 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96.
*** FERPA regulations require that these data be suppressed. Note: All
Black and White Football Graduation Percentages come from a total of 16
or more students that received athletics aid. University of Utah Black
Football Graduation Percentage came from a range of 11-15 athletic
students receiving aid. Only student-athletes receiving athletic aid
are the ones mentioned in this report.

SOURCE: NCAA