UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State student-athletes continue to impress as much in the classroom as they do in competition, posting record marks in several categories during the 2019 fall semester. Nittany Lion students tied the program record with a 3.17 grade-point average in the fall, while breaking the department mark with a 3.16 cumulative GPA following the fall semester.
In addition, a department-record 28 of 31 programs earned a 3.0 semester GPA. The Nittany Lions also set standards with 535 students (64%) with a 3.0 semester GPA and 280 Dean's List honorees (3.5 semester GPA; 34%) in the fall.
Semester Records Broken During 2019 Fall Semester:
3.17 grade-point average (tied)
535 student-athletes with 3.0 semester GPA
52 student-athletes with a 4.0 semester GPA
280 student-athletes on Dean's List (3.5 GPA)
28 teams (of 31 total) with a 3.0 GPA or higher
"Each and every semester, I am more and more impressed with our students. They continue to raise the bar with the priority they put on academic excellence and their consistent performances," said Sandy Barbour, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. "The work our students put in the classroom and in competition is unparalleled and I couldn't be prouder of everything our teams have achieved in the fall semester. To have 90 percent of our teams with a 3.0 semester GPA is the definition of preparing our students for a lifetime of impact. Our campus community, alumni and donors should all feel a sense of pride in how our student continually turn in high-level, consistent academic performances."
More Than 500 Nittany Lion Students Earn at Least 3.0 GPA for Third-Straight Time in Fall Semester
A school-record 535 Nittany Lion students posted a 3.0 GPA or higher during, eclipsing 500 for the third-straight fall semester. The previous highest spring total was 520 in fall 2017.
Russ Mushinsky, Director of the Morgan Academic Center, reported that a school-record 280 student-athletes garnered Dean's List accolades by posting at least a 3.5 GPA (minimum 12 credits) during the fall semester. The previous high during the spring was 253 in 2017.
The 3.17 grade-point average during the most recent semester tied the previous mark set in the 2019 spring semester.
Twenty-eight of Penn State's 31 squads posted a team GPA of 3.00 or higher to set the school mark. The 28 teams with a 3.0 or better surpasses the mark of 26 teams, which has occurred the last four semesters. A total of 64 percent of 831 enrolled student-athletes during the fall earned a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Women's Golf Posts Highest Team GPA
The women's golf team recorded the highest team GPA among Penn State's 31 programs last fall, followed by the women's soccer and field hockey squads. Men's tennis had the highest GPA among the men's programs.
Eleven Highest Semesters for Number of 3.0 GPA Students Since Fall 2014
Starting with the 2014 fall semester, Penn State student-athletes have achieved the 11 highest semesters all-time for the number of students earning at least a 3.0 GPA:
2014 fall (500); 2015 spring (474)
2015 fall (516); 2016 spring (482)
2016 fall (498); 2017 spring (495)
2017 fall (520); 2018 spring (487)
2018 fall (518); 2019 spring (505)
2019 fall (535)
The number of student-athletes posting at least a 3.0 GPA during the fall semester has increased 14.3 percent the past six years from 468 in 2013 to 535 in 2019.
Student-Athletes with 3.0 GPA; Fall Semester, 2013-19 (+14.3 percent)
Fall 2019 – 535 (fall and overall record)
Fall 2018 – 518
Fall 2017 – 520
Fall 2016 – 498
Fall 2015 – 516
Fall 2014 – 500
Fall 2013 - 468
The number of student-athletes posting at least a 3.5 GPA during the fall semester to earn Dean's List recognition has increased 42.1 percent the past six years from 197 in 2013 to 280 in 2019. A 3.5 GPA and passing a minimum of 12 credits are required to be considered for Dean's List honors.
Student-Athletes Earning Dean's List Honors; Fall Semester, 2013-19 (+42.1 percent)
(3.5 GPA; minimum 12 credits)
Fall 2019 – 280 (fall and overall record)
Fall 2018 – 239
Fall 2017 – 253
Fall 2016 – 223
Fall 2015 – 234
Fall 2014 – 241
Fall 2013 - 197
Penn State Among the Nation's Premier Athletic Programs in Comprehensive Excellence
Under the Barbour's leadership, Penn State has one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful athletic programs, featuring 800 student-athletes across 31 varsity programs (16 men's, 15 women's).
Nittany Lion students have posted an NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of program-record 91 percent in the most recent report. Eight teams earned a 100 percent graduation rate in the 2018 NCAA Graduation Rates Report. The Nittany Lions rank No. 4 among all Division I schools with 207 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans all-time and broke the school record with 368 Academic All-Big Ten honorees (3.0 GPA or higher) and 117 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars (3.7 GPA or higher) during the 2018-19 academic year.
