The graduation rates of 1,642 M student athletes at Michigan State U during a 25-year period are compared by sport, decade of matriculation, race, & athletic success. The data, collected by unobtrusive means from various U records & files, also are examined against comparable national data for student athletes, & against comparable data for the general student population at Michigan State U. All M athletes (letter-winners or not) who played football, basketball, baseball, or hockey are included. The results support the position that intercollegiate athletics has a positive influence on the educational attainment of participating athletes, since the graduation rates for athletes were found to be higher than or comparable to those of the general student population. However, across all sports, black athletes were found to have higher attrition & lower graduation rates than their white counterparts. 3 Tables, 4 References. Modified AA.