Sept. 1, 1999
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Historical graduation rates for Purdue's student-athletes continue to improve and rank above the national average. The seventh-annual NCAA study analyzes college students who enrolled in 1992-93 and graduated within six years. Students who transferred to another university counted against the rates for the originally-attended school.
A record 73 percent of Purdue's student-athletes from the six-year study graduated, up from last year's 70 percent mark. Purdue's average rated above the 58 percent for all NCAA Division I-A student-athletes and 58 percent for all NCAA Division I student-athletes. Perhaps more importantly, it was above the averages for the general student body at Purdue (65 percent), at all NCAA Division I-A institutions (60 percent) and at all NCAA Division I institutions (56 percent).
In addition, a total of 87 percent of Purdue's student-athletes who exhausted their eligibility with the 1997-98 academic year graduated.
Current Boilermakers have fared extremely well in the classroom. A school-record 116 student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten honors during the 1998-99 school year. Last spring 123 student-athletes achieved Semester Honors, Dean's List or both, representing 28.1 percent of Purdue's 437 student-athletes. A total of 39 had a perfect 4.0 grade-point average last spring.
The athletic department's cumulative GPA is 2.84, above the university average of 2.83. The athletic department has been even with or above the entire university mark for each of the last four semesters. The women's tennis team received the President's Cup for having the highest team cumulative GPA last spring (3.52). In addition, the women's basketball team achieved a 3.27 team GPA last spring while also winning the NCAA national championship.
Category - Purdue Graduation Rate - NCAA Division IA Graduation Rate
All Students - 65% - 60%
All Athletes - 73% - 58%
Male Athletes - 67% - 52%
Female Athletes - 82% - 69%