Chicago, IL- The National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) is pleased to announce that Merrimack College has earned a listing in the 6th Annual NCSA Collegiate Power Rankings.



Merrimack is ranked third among Division II schools and 95th overall among all universities in the country.



NCSA's 2008 Collegiate Power Rankings rate colleges and universities comprehensively based on student-athlete graduation rates, academic strength and athletic prowess of the university. The institutions posted in the 2008 Power Rankings are in an elite group of less than 6% of colleges and universities across the nation.



"For a school to be at the top of a list of more than 1,000 NCAA schools with athletic programs is remarkable", said Chris Krause, Founder and President of NCSA and the originator of the NCSA Collegiate Power Rankings list.



"Merrimack College has made it to the top 10% overall because of their commitment to academic and athletics, as well as their commitment to graduating their student-athletes. NCSA's power rankings objectively help prospective student-athletes compare each of their collegiate opportunities so they can make the most educated decision possible when it comes to their future. To be listed as one of the top schools in the 2008 NCSA Power Rankings shows dedication and commitment to running a first class program, and deserves to be recognized."



The Collegiate Power Rankings from NCSA are calculated for each college and university at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels by averaging the U.S. News & World Report ranking, the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup ranking and the NCAA student-athlete graduation rate of each college/university. The collegiate power rankings are based off of the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup rating which 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.   New for 2008, NCSA distinguished the top national and liberal arts colleges from the list of comprehensive colleges.



In addition to the collegiate power rankings, NCSA publishes recruiting guidelines and provides education to the nation's top clubs, camps, and combines to high school athletic directors, coaches and families of student-athletes who are interested in competing at the next level.



"The backbone of NCSA is education," said Krause.  "The NCSA staff consists of more than 70 former collegiate athletes and college coaches whose focus is to match college coaches with qualified and committed student athletes, maximizing their collegiate recruiting potential."