CLEMSON, SC - The Clemson athletic department again achieved exceptional ratings in the NCAA's most recent Graduation Success Rate reports released Thursday, in which data from the 2003-2006 academic years were included.

The overall athletic department rate of 87 improved from last year's reported 86, marking the sixth consecutive year of improvement in the overall graduation rate. Only Duke among Atlantic Coast Conference peers can make the same claim.

"Clemson has a great history of its student-athletes excelling in the classroom," director of athletics Dan Radakovich said. "The graduation rates announced today are another indicator of the commitment our coaches and academic staff have made to prepare our student-athletes for life."

The women's basketball, swimming, tennis and volleyball programs each posted a 100 percent rate for the period, while rowing had a 98 and soccer recorded a 95. The women's sports averaged a 97.7 percent graduation success rate, bettering the women's programs of nine ACC peers.

Football posted a 77 percent graduation success rate in the 2006 cohort, its highest since the 1999 year. Men's golf led the men's sports with an 86, while men's soccer posted an 84.