Tulane Graduation Rates Among Tops in the Nation
 |  Tulane's football graduation rate of 89% ranked fourth in the nation. |
Oct. 10, 2001
NEW ORLEANS - Tulane student-athletes lead Louisiana and Conference USA in terms of graduation rates, according to figures released by the NCAA in September. The figures reflect the six-year rate of graduation for the overall student body and for student-athletes who entered school in the fall of 1994.
Seventy-five percent of all Tulane student-athletes who entered school in the fall of 1994 graduated which compares favorably with the graduation rate of all Tulane students, which was 70%. Broken down by men and women, male student-athletes had a 74% graduation rate while 79% of Tulane's female student-athletes graduated.
"We're very proud of the job our student-athletes are doing in the classroom," said Tulane Athletic Director Rick Dickson. "The credit goes to them and to our coaches and staff who support them."
Tulane's 75% overall rate ranked second in Conference USA to non-football playing school Marquette, which had a 77% mark. Saint Louis was third at 71%. Among C-USA football members, Tulane ranked first, with East Carolina a distant second at 58%.
In addition, Tulane's graduation rate was boosted by the extremely high percentage of football players who graduated. Tulane's football graduation rate of 89 percent led Conference USA and was higher than all Louisiana schools. In fact, the number ranked the Green Wave fourth in the country in graduation rates among Division I-A schools.
"Any coach in America would be pleased with that," said Tulane head coach Chris Scelfo. "It doesn't necessarily translate into wins for you, but the bottom line is to graduate your players and help them have a successful life.
"Our guys work extremely hard in the classroom," he continued. "I think they understand exactly what their No. 1 priority is when they get here."
Tulane's basketball teams also fared well in comparison to other schools in the league, although it is difficult to judge basketball rates because they are usually based on a very small number of incoming players per year. Tulane's men's basketball graduation rate for the 1994-95 freshmen class was 50% while 75% of the women's basketball freshmen graduated in six years. That ranked the men second in C-USA behind only Charlotte. The Wave women also ranked second in the league, to Saint Louis.
Every separate sports group at Tulane rated at 50% or above for the year, led by football and women's "other" sports athletes (for Tulane: tennis, golf, volleyball and soccer), who combined for an 86% graduation rate. Women's basketball was next at 75%, followed by baseball and women's cross country/track and field, both at 67%.
The graduation rate is based on a comparison of the number of students who entered the university and the number of those who graduated within six years. It does not include transfer students who graduate from another university or students who take more than six years to graduate.
Tulane Graduation Rates At a Glance*
All Students: 70%
All Student-Athletes: 75%
Male Student-Athletes: 74%
Female Student-Athletes: 79%
