Forget the dumb jock stereotypes: College student-athletes make it work on the classroom and on the field.

The NCAA revealed the most recent graduation success rates (GSR) for students who matriculated between 2001 and 2004 this week, and Rice's student-athletes are among the best performers. Overall graduation rates have reached a record high of 82 percent for the class entering in 2004, according to NCAA data.

Rice ranked fifth among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools, with 95 percent of all its student-athletes graduating within six years. Notre Dame was the best in the country, graduating 99 percent of student-athletes, followed by Duke University, Boston College, Northwestern and the Naval Academy.

Rice was also second to Notre Dame in GSR of African-American athletes, graduating 96 percent. In football, Rice graduated 93 percent of players, third-best in the country, and the best rate in both Conference USA and among all Texas FBS schools.

"These numbers continue to reflect the outstanding efforts of all our student-athletes," Rice athletic director Rick Greenspan said in a statement. "Every young man and woman who accepts the offer to compete for Rice does so knowing that there are high expectations both in the classroom and on the playing field.

"They take great pride in extending this legacy of excellence and we celebrate their achievements."

It makes for an interesting subtext as the unranked, struggling (2-5) Owls and the No. 18, rolling (7-0) Cougars prepare to meet in a Thursday night college football showdown.

Overall, football and basketball programs had the worst graduation rates, and top Texas football programs were below the national average.

Of the four Texas programs currently ranked in the Top 25, Texas Tech had the best graduation rates at 68 percent, followed by Texas A&M (59 percent) and then the University of Texas and the University of Houston, both at 57 percent. With the average graduation rate among the Top 25 football teams coming in at just under 69 percent, only three programs are worse than the bottom trio of Texas schools — South Carolina at 55 percent, Arkansas at 56 percent and Oklahoma at a paltry 48 percent.

Among the Final Four basketball teams, the women's national champion Texas A&M came in sharply behind the other three finalists, graduating 75 percent of its players while UConn, Stanford and Notre Dame had graduation rates of 90 percent or better. But A&M's women were miles better than their male championship brethren.

UConn's men's basketball team — which won the title at Reliant Stadium — graduated an abysmal 25 percent of its players.