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The latest NCAA report on graduation rates shows Western Washington University student-athletes once again graduating at rates well above the national average for NCAA Division II.

Data released today by the NCAA show that based on both the federally mandated graduation rate and the NCAA Academic Success Rate, Western student-athletes who entered as part of the 2003-04 freshman class graduated at a rate 13 percentage points better than the national average for Division II.

"Western's athletes are part of a strong culture of excellence and achievement at our university. For our athletes, the combination of academic accomplishment and success in athletics is not the exception but the norm," said Western President Bruce Shepard.

The 2010 findings show 69 percent of Viking student-athletes receive their degrees in six years or less based on the Federal Graduation Rate formula. That was higher than both the national average for NCAA II schools (56 percent), and the average of the nine U.S. schools in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (54 percent). The 69 percent graduation rate is equal to the impressive rate for all freshmen who entered Western in fall of 2003.

"We continue to keep our priorities where they belong," said Western Vice President for Student Affairs Eileen Coughlin. "This illustrates a clear commitment to Athletics Strategic Plan and is evidence of great leadership within the Athletics department both from the Director of Athletics and the coaches who ensure that athletes are able to find the balance of academic and athletic success."

Using the NCAA Academic Success Rate, which includes all freshman student-athletes from the fall of 2003 and also accounts for student-athletes who transfer into or out of the institution, Western posted an 85 percent success rate, 12 percentage points better than the NCAA II national number of 73 percent. The average ASR of the nine GNAC schools was 77 percent.

"After being ranked sixth in the 2009-10 NCAA Division II Director's Cup standings among 310 schools, these graduation numbers illustrate again how athletic competitiveness and academic excellence are one in the same at Western," said director of athletics Lynda Goodrich. "This makes a huge statement for our program and what it is accomplishing."

The 2010 Federal Graduation Rate Reports are based on student-athletes who entered universities during the 2003-04 academic year and graduated in six years or less. Student-athletes are defined as those "who received athletics aid" such as grants, scholarships, tuition waivers or other assistance from the institution upon initial enrollment.

The impressive showing is part of a consistent pattern for Western, as its four-year (2000-2003) cohort for the federal report graduated at a 66 percent rate. The national ASR for the entering class of 2003 is 73 percent, which represents a two percent increase over last year. The national four-year average increased one percent to 71 percent.

Even when utilizing the less-inclusive federal rate, Division II student-athletes perform significantly better than the general student body. The federal rate for Division II student-athletes in the 2003 entering class increased one percent to 56 percent while the general student body was 47 percent, a difference of 9 percent.

This is the fifth year the NCAA has released the Division ASR. The NCAA developed the Division II ASR at the request of college and university presidents who believed the federal graduation rate was flawed. Division II's ASR data is similar to the Division I Graduation Success Rate as it takes transfer students in account. However, given the partial-scholarship financial aid model of Division II, ASR also includes student-athletes not on athletically related financial aid. The result is that ASR captures more than 34,000 non-scholarship student-athletes.