The NCAA's annual Graduation Success Rate (GSR) study, released Tuesday, shows Division I men's hockey student-athletes graduating from school at an 88.5% rate, significantly higher than other sports and the overall student population.

Twelve Division I programs earned a perfect 100% score in the GSR, which measures the graduation rate of student-athletes who entered school in 2004. Twenty-four schools had success rates above 90%.

"This study affirms what a tremendous job our student-athletes do in the classroom while excelling on the ice as well,” College Hockey, Inc. Executive Director Paul Kelly said. “Those young men deserve a lot of credit, as do our institutions and coaches, who recognize the importance of an education. It’s great to see that the vast majority of Division I hockey players are leaving school with degrees from some of the best academic institutions in the world.”

Only four men's sports - fencing, gymnastics, lacrosse and skiing - had better GSR scores than hockey. The average of all men's sports in Division I was 76.7%, while the average for men's and women's Division I sports was 82%.

The NCAAs GSR measures the percentage of enrollees who graduate from an institution within six years, with allowances for transfers into and out of an institution. Student-athletes who leave an institution while in good academic standing before exhausting athletics eligibility are removed from the calculation.

For more on the NCAA GSR, visit ncaa.org.