Graduation rates for athletes rise for seventh year

A recent report released by the NCAA showed that USC varsity athletes who enrolled from 2002-05 graduated at a rate of 79 percent — the seventh-straight year USC’s percentage has increased in this evaluation.

The rate increased from 66 percent in 2007, to 68 in 2008, to 69 in 2009, to 74 in 2010, to 78 in 2011 and now to 79 in 2012, according to the university.

The new figures, however, did not bear all good news for USC.

According to the new numbers, the football program posted a 57 percent graduation rate over the time period — a four-point drop from last year’s figure. In the Pac-12, USC ranked ninth.

For other sports, the picture was a little brighter. Five sports — men’s golf, women’s rowing, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball — had a 100-percent graduation rate over the time period. Women’s lacrosse and sand volleyball were not evaluated since the NCAA looked at athletes who started college from 2002–05, according to the university.

Notre Dame had the highest national graduation rate for freshmen entering the university from 2002 to 2005, with a rate of 97 percent. Rutgers was ranked second with a 91-percent rate and Stanford was ranked third with a 90-percent rate.