INDIANAPOLIS - College athletes continue to graduate at record rates.

The most recent data collected by the NCAA and released Wednesday shows an all-time high 86 percent of athletes from the 2008-09 freshmen class earned degrees within six years. That's up 2 percentage points from last year's record one-year high. 

The four-year number also improved by a percentage point to 83 percent, breaking last year's record.

Critics contend the federal numbers are more accurate than the NCAA-generated Graduation Success Rate, which includes transfer students who earn diplomas at other schools. But the federal statistics show a similar trend, with a one-percentage point jump to an all-time high of 67 percent, while 65 percent of non-athletes graduate over the same time.