NCAA athletes post solid graduation rates

NCAA athletes continue to graduate at a higher rate than their student peers, according to a report released Tuesday by the association.

Nationwide, 63% of athletes who entered Division I colleges as freshmen in 2000 graduated within six years. The overall rate for the student body at those schools was 62%.

The two largest Los Angeles-area universities had mixed success.

While the athlete rates for USC and UCLA exceeded the NCAA average at 69% and 68%, respectively, both schools reported much greater success among their student bodies.

UCLA students graduated at 89%; USC at 84%.

In football, UCLA graduated half of its players and USC graduated 53%.

The NCAA’s report used federal statistics that do not account for students who switch schools. A separate calculation that included transfer students showed the NCAA rate to be 77%.

The report also noted that African American athletes graduated at a rate of 53%, seven percentage points higher than their student peers.

Among key subgroups, only white males had a lower rate than the student body at large, graduating at 59% as compared with 62%.