May 24, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's football program is once again being honored by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) for owning one of the nation's top graduation rates.
The Wildcats were one of five institutions to achieve a graduation rate of 90 percent or better when all members of its 2000-01 freshman class earned a degree. The other four schools with a similar rate were: Boston College, Duke, Notre Dame and Southern Mississippi.
Southern Methodist University (SMU) won the 2006 Academic Achievement Award for a 100 percent graduation rate. Northwestern has won the award four times (1998, 2002, 2004, 2005) since 1998, when the award was expanded to include all Division I-A conferences, including the Big Ten.
In the other years that Northwestern did not receive the award (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003), the Wildcats earned honorable mention honors as well.