Nine CWPA Varsity Schools Earn Spots in the NCSA Collegiate Power Rankings

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) has released the 2009 Collegiate Power Rankings with nine Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) institutions ranking among the Top 100 institutions in the nation at Divisions I, II and III.

The Collegiate Power Rankings from NCSA are calculated for each college/university at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels by averaging the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup ranking, the NCAA student-athlete graduation rate of each college/university and the U.S. News & World Report ranking. The collegiate power rankings based off of the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup rating evaluates the strength of NCAA athletic departments, while the U.S. News & World Report rating recognizes institutions of academic excellence. The student-athlete graduation rates are based on those provided by the NCAA.

Leading the way for the CWPA is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which ranks sixth in the nation as the Engineers rate fourth in academic rank, 24th in athletic rank and 12th in NCAA graduation rate.  Following close behind are Princeton University and Johns Hopkins University, which rank eighth and 10th, respectively.

Princeton ranks second in academic rank, 39th in athletic rank and fourth in NCAA graduation rate, while JHU rated 15th in academic rank, 18th in athletic rank and 27th in NCAA graduation rate.

Tied for 12th in the rankings, Harvard University rates 1st in academic rank, 68th in athletic rank and 1st in NCAA graduation rate, while fellow Ivy League institution Brown University rates 29th overall with a 16th place ranking in academic rank as well as 106th and eighth place rankings in athletics and NCAA graduation rate.

The University of Michigan and the United States Naval Academy rate 34th and 36th, overall, as the Wolverines rank 26th in academics, third in athletics and 113th in graduation rate, while the Midshipmen rate 22nd in academics, 75th in athletics and 48th in graduation rate.

Bucknell University and Macalester College round out the CWPA institution representation in the rankings as the Bison and Scots rank 74th and 89th.  Bucknell ranks 30th in academic rank, 211th in athletics and 31st in graduation rate, while Macalester ranks 25th in academics, 229th in athletics and 64th in graduation rate.

Overall, the CWPA accounted for over 69% of water polo institutions ranked in the Top 100 institutions as Stanford University (4th), University of California-Davis (77th), University of California-Berkeley (81st) and University of California-Los Angeles (98th) were also selected to the Top 100.

The complete list of rankings, including breakdowns for Divisions I, II and III, are available on the NCSA website.