Santa Clara University

SANTA CLARA, Calif.-- Sept.4, 2003 -- For the second year in a row, a report compiled by the National Collegiate Athletic Association revealed that student-athletes at Santa Clara University graduate at the highest rate in the West Coast Conference and the second-highest among Division I institutions in the state of California.

According to the report, SCU student-athletes graduated at a four-year average rate of 78 percent while the overall student body at the institution graduated at a slightly higher rate of 81 percent. The report examines a four-year rolling average ending with freshman entering school in 1996-97.

Santa Clara's student-athlete graduation rate is considerably higher than the NCAA Division I average of 60 percent for student-athletes and the 70 percent average for Division I private institutions. The institution's overall graduation rate is the fourth-highest among all U.S. master's universities, according to the most recent U.S. News & World Report ranking.

"The expectations set by the institution, the athletic department and the students at Santa Clara University are of the highest standard and our graduation rates are reflective of that," said Cheryl L. Levick, Director of Athletics and Recreation at SCU. "Whether it is success on the field, in the classroom or in any other facet of life, our student-athletes have a broad perspective and are well prepared for challenges that lie ahead of them. We are very proud of our graduation rate and expect it to remain among the highest levels in college athletics."

The current report's 78 percent graduation rate for SCU student-athletes roughly equals the average for student-athletes at 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 87 percent, compared to the institution's overall student rate of 92 percent. The University of San Diego moved into a tie with UC Santa Barbara for third in the state rankings, graduating student-athletes at a 73 percent rate.

Among West Coast Conference institutions, Santa Clara rated at the top of the list, five percentage points ahead of second-place San Diego and Gonzaga University. Among the overall student population, SCU's league-leading 81 percent is 10 percentage points better than Pepperdine University'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 Pacific Coast Softball Conference and the Western Water Polo Association. The department enjoyed a successful 2002-2003 season. For the second-straight year, the Broncos advanced to the NCAA title game in women's soccer and finished second in the WCC's annual all-sports competition. The Broncos also had six all-Americans, eight national academic award winners, 50 all-conference performers and 19 academic all-conference award winners.

About Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located in California's Silicon Valley, offers its 8,060 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master's and law degrees. Distinguished nationally by the fourth-highest graduation rate among all U.S. master's universities, California's oldest higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. More information is online at www.scu.edu.