Vito is spot on: it was a "different time".
In my opinion, a lot of the folks that washed out in my class (DLF 86-05) would have graduated UPT just a few years later. We started with 63, and graduated 42... exactly 33% washout rate. And that was not uncharacteristic.
Having been a FAIP during the 86-89 timeframe, I saw the worst of it, and then it began to trail off a little before I left. We saw a few losses in the T-38, but that burden fell mainly on the T-37 IP's.
As a PIT IP from 93-96, I didn't have first hand knowledge, but it was generally well known that the washout rate was quite low.
I can't recall specifics anymore, but I remember "leadership" mandating that pilots make it through training.
Like I stated... a lot of students that washed out would have become USAF pilots had they gone through UPT just a few years later.