Washington University Ranked Sixth in 2012 NCSA Collegiate Power Rankings

St. Louis, Mo., October 2, 2012 – The National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) announced its 10th Annual Collegiate Power Rankings and Washington University in St. Louis was ranked sixth overall on the list of top academic and athletic colleges and universities in the country.

The list includes all schools at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels. Washington University also finished first within the University Athletic Association (UAA) and third in the Division III rankings. The sixth-place finish is the third-highest finish in school history and the Bears’ eighth-straight top-15 appearance–2005 (fourth), 2006 (fifth), 2007 (12th), 2008 (fourth), 2009 (fifth), 2010 (sixth) and 2011 (11th).

Williams College ranked first in the overall standings, with Amherst College, Duke University, University of Notre Dame and Stanford University rounding out the top five.

Washington University ranked second in the final 2011-12 Learfield Sports Division III Director’s Cup rankings, 14th in the U.S. News and World Report rankings and 44th for student-athlete graduation rate.

Washington University had 17 of 19 teams compete in NCAA Tournament action, and recorded seven top-10 finishes. Washington U. also won eight UAA titles and posted a combined sports record of 203-69-1 (.745).

The Bears had four teams make Final Four appearances in 2011-12, led by the national championship women’s cross country team. Washington U. also placed third in men’s cross country and women’s indoor track and field, fourth in men’s tennis, fifth in women’s soccer and sixth in women’s outdoor track and field.

NCSA Athletic Recruiting's Collegiate 2012 Power Rankings assess the academic and athletics standards of all NCAA athletic programs across the country. The Power Rankings were developed to help prospective student-athletes and their families evaluate the particular strengths of the top colleges and universities at the Division I, II and III levels. Fewer than six percent of colleges and universities earn a spot in NCSA Athletic Recruiting’s Top 100 for 2012, and Washington University in St. Louis is in this elite class.

The Collegiate Power Rankings from NCSA Athletic Recruiting are calculated for each Division I, II and III college and university by averaging student-athlete graduation rates, academic rankings provided by U.S. News & World Report, and the strength of athletic departments as determined by the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup.

A comprehensive list of the rankings, both overall and by division, are available at: http://www.ncsasports.org/about-ncsa/power-rankings.