Duke Leads ACC Grad Rates

Duke is leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in a statistic not frequently reported in the sports pages. The Blue Devils topped the league in the percentage of student-athletes who graduated in 6 years.

97 percent of the student-athletes who came to Duke in 2004 graduated by 2010. That ties Boston College for the best rate in the ACC. The NCAA graduation rate does not take into account student-athletes who leave school in good academic standing.

Wake Forest was right behind at 94 percent. UNC-Chapel Hill came in at 88 percent. All beat the national average for student-athletes of 82 percent.

NC State came in last place in the league. Just 74 percent of the Wolfpack's student-athletes graduated in 6 years. Officials say they are working to improve the number, and contend that frequent coaching changes added to the poor showing. N-C State also has the lowest federal graduation rate in the ACC for all students.