The University of Central Florida’s student-athletes are matching their successes on the field with accomplishments in the classroom.

The latest graduation rate released for UCF’s student-athletes has surpassed the rate for non-student athletes. UCF also boasts the best all-sports Academic Progress Rate among all public Conference USA schools and the third-best rate out of the 13 Division I schools in Florida.

For students who first enrolled at UCF in fall 2004, the student-athlete graduation rate was 67 percent, a 12-point improvement from the previous academic year. That rate is also four points higher than the rate for the UCF general student population that began the same semester.

Eighty percent of African-American male student-athletes and 74 percent of UCF’s female student-athletes in that class graduated. Helping to lead the surge on the male side is the success of UCF’s football team, as 70 percent of current head coach George O’Leary’s first recruiting class graduated.

UCF’s all-sports Academic Progress Rate has improved in each of the past five years. The school’s current 967 average ranking trails only Rice and Tulane among all Conference USA schools. UCF’s 967 also ranks third among the 13 Division I schools in Florida, trailing only the universities of Miami and Florida.

Since joining C-USA in 2005-06, the Knights have averaged 197 student-athletes per year on the Commissioner’s Honor Roll, besting Rice’s 187.8 for the best mark in the league.

The Knights have also enjoyed success on the field this season, earning three Conference USA championships and seeing seven teams crack the national Top 25 rankings.

To learn more about UCF Athletics, go to http://ucfathletics.cstv.com.