Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech Football Grad Rates Among Nations Best - Again
June 11, 2004 | Football
June 11, 2004
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech's football program boasted an 89 percent graduation rate for the 1998-99 freshman class, which has been recognized as the second-highest in the Big 12 Conference by the American Football Coaches Association.
For the fourth-straight year, Texas Tech's graduation rate was higher than 70 percent. In addition to Tech, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska and Oklahoma State were the only schools from the Big 12 recognized as having graduated 70 percent or higher of the 1998-99 freshman class.
"We are obviously proud of all of our graduates within the athletics department," John Anderson, Associate Athletic Director for Student Services, said. "To be recognized by the American Football Coaches Association is not only a credit to our football student-athletes, it also is a credit to my staff, our coaches and the university faculty and staff. It takes a team effort to recruit, retain and to graduate our student-athletes."
The Mid-American Conference led the country with seven schools above 70 percent, while the Big 12 and the Big East conferences each had five schools represented. The Atlantic Coast and Big Ten each had four schools above 70 percent, while Conference USA and the Western Athletic Conference had three and two, respectively. One school from the Southeastern Conference finished above 70 percent.
The overall graduation rate of the 94 I-A schools that responded to the AFCA survey was 59 percent, similar to the previous year. Forty-nine of the members responding were above the average and 45 were below. The median graduation rate was 60 percent, compared to 59 percent last year and 61 percent the year prior.
The study involves the freshman class from the academic year of 1998-99, including those who entered at that time but who did not receive financial aid until after their initial year, or who transferred from another institution and subsequently received a grant-in-aid.
