LA JOLLA, Calif. - The National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) has once again ranked UC San Diego as the top Division II institution in the country in its annual Collegiate Power Rankings, it was announced Tuesday. Ranked on the NCSA's list for the eighth year in a row, UCSD also earned a No. 9 overall ranking in the study.

NCSA Athletic Recruiting's Collegiate Power Rankings assess the academic and athletics standards of all NCAA athletics 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 earned a spot on NCSA Athletic Recruiting's Top 100 list for 2012.

"Annually, this is one of the most significant rankings for our program because it speaks to the fact that we are accomplished not only athletically, but also in the classroom," said UCSD Director of Athletics Earl W. Edwards.

UC San Diego first appeared in the rankings in 2005 - coming in at No. 26 overall - and has earned a spot in the top 100 every year since. The institution was ranked as high as No. 4 overall in 2007 and has been the top-ranked school in Division II six years running.

"I'm also pleased with the consistency UCSD has been able to demonstrate," said Edwards. "This is our sixth consecutive year as the No. 1 Division II institution, and to be ranked among the top 10 of all universities in the country for the past eight years is quite an honor."

Now in its 10th year, 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 athletics departments as determined by the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup.

"The Power Rankings are an objective tool to empower student-athletes to find the right fit in a college or university, not only for its athletics, but academics as well," said Lisa Strasman, COO and President of NCSA Athletic Recruiting. "Our hope is to educate these student-athletes and their parents on the importance of evaluating schools that will provide the education for an enriched, successful career after college, in addition to athletic success."

A comprehensive list of the rankings, both overall and by NCAA division, is available at ncsasports.org/about-ncsa/power-rankings.

Information in this release courtesy of Tiffany Menzione, NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network

-- UCSDtritons.com --