Rebel Graduation Rates On Rise

OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss athletes have a higher graduation rate than the general student population for the third straight year, according to recently released data from the NCAA.

The NCAA created the Graduation Success Rate four years ago to better calculate graduation numbers among student-athletes, with the major difference being the inclusion of transfers with all other scholarship athletes in the equation. The 2008 GSR, which is based on the past six years of data, shows 73 percent of Ole Miss student-athletes earning their degrees.

That number is even higher among four-year Rebels. By the Exhausted Eligibility Rate, if an Ole Miss student-athlete exhausts all four years of their eligibility in Oxford, they have an 88 percent chance of receiving their degree.

Seven of the Rebels' 14 teams are above the national GSR average, and four squads - men's golf, men's tennis, women's tennis and volleyball - achieved 100 percent graduation. In addition, the soccer team was at 92 percent.

"I am proud of our student-athletes, academic staff, coaches and the university community for their dedication and hard work in helping accomplish the ultimate goal of graduation," said Ole Miss Director of Athletics Pete Boone. "We will continue to improve our graduation rates and are committed to providing our student-athletes with the academic support and resources necessary to reach all their goals in the classroom and ultimately in life."

The Federal Graduation Rate, which does not include transfers in and out, shows Ole Miss student-athletes graduating at a higher rate than the University's student body as a whole, at 56 percent as opposed to 53.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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