Notre Dame No. 1 in grad rate

Notre Dame posted a national-best NCAA Graduation Success Rate figure for its student-athletes for the seventh straight year.

The GSR figure of 99 for all Irish athletes rated Notre Dame first among the football-playing institutions in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. The 2013 figures are based on entering classes from 2003 through 2006.

For the fifth year in a row Notre Dame led the nation in four GSR categories: all student-athletes (99), male student-athletes (98), female student athletes (100) and black student athletes (96).

Notre Dame graduated a four-year average of 88 percent of its athletes, just behind Stanford at 93 and Northwestern at 89.

Irish women's athletic programs graduated 93 percent of its athletes to rank second behind Stanford at 96. Notre Dame's 84 percent federal graduation rate for its male athletes was third and its 79 percent federal graduation rate for its black student-athletes was fifth.