Holy Cross Graduation Rates Among Highest in the Nation
College ranks No. 7 in U.S. News list of four-year graduation rate
The College of the Holy Cross has the seventh highest four-year graduation rate among all colleges and universities in the country according to U.S. News & World Report. At 89.2 percent, Holy Cross is part of an elite group of institutions that graduate an average of nine in 10 students in four years, saving families money in additional tuition costs. In comparison, the average graduation rate of all 1,219 schools that provided graduation rate data to U.S. News for the same period (2005-09) was just 40 percent.
“These days, families naturally seek an assurance that the tuition they pay will bring predictable results as well as good ones,” says Timothy Austin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College. “In that context, it is important that we show those families not only that Holy Cross students overwhelmingly complete their studies within four years but also that their degrees will open the door to careers in which they can do well for themselves and do good for others.”
Among the top 10 schools included in the U.S. News list, Holy Cross shared the spotlight with Swarthmore College (No. 1), Haverford College (No. 2), Pomona College (No. 3), University of Notre Dame (No. 4), Georgetown University (No. 5), Columbia University (No. 6), Williams College (No. 8), United States Naval Academy (No. 9), and Yale University (No. 10).
With a 96 percent graduation success rate for student-athletes, Holy Cross is also among the most successful in NCAA Division I athletics. In its 2011 Graduation Success Rate Report, which is based on data from 2001 – 04, the NCAA noted that 21 of Holy Cross’ athletic teams achieved a perfect 100 percent graduation rate.