WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & SportsGeorgia, Tennessee graduation rates improve

76 percent of UT athletes graduating in 6 years
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - More Tennessee athletes are graduating within six years of starting school.

According to the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate report released Tuesday, 76 percent of Tennessee's athletes who started school between the 2001-02 and 2004-05 academic years earned a degree within six years. That rate is an increase of two percentage points over last year.

Tennessee's women's basketball, women's cross country and track and field, women's tennis and volleyball teams had a graduation success rate of 100 percent. The football team's rate increased from 53 percent to 61 percent, while the men's basketball rate remained at 40 percent.

The Volunteers and Lady Volunteers' four-year graduation average was 62 percent.

Nationally, 82 percent of freshman athletes who entered school in 2004-05 earned degrees within six years and 80 percent within four years.

Georgia sees rise in graduation rates
ATHENS, Ga. (UGA) -- University of Georgia student-athletes graduated at a rate of 79% in the latest NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) survey period according to figures released Tuesday by the NCAA. That's up from 77% a year ago and is the highest score for the Bulldogs since the GSR was implemented in 2005.

In the GSR four-year average rate, University of Georgia athletic teams improved in ten sports including baseball, men's basketball, men's cross country/track and field, men's tennis, women's cross country/track and field, soccer, softball, women's swimming and diving, volleyball, and equestrian. Four sports remained the same and three experienced small declines. Women's gymnastics and women's tennis both repeated their 2010 scores of 100 percent.

The four-year average rate includes not only freshmen but transfers in and out of the institution. The current report tracks the freshman classes of 2001-2002-2003-2004.

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