UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State student-athletes continued their strong performance in the classroom with another impressive effort while dealing with continued unprecedented times during the 2020 fall semester. All 31 Nittany Lion teams recorded at least a 3.3 grade-point average and Penn State student-athletes had a 3.51 semester GPA. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State utilized an alternative grading system.
The Nittany Lions had 82 students with a 4.0 semester GPA, 742 students (88%) with a 3.0 semester GPA and 327 Dean's List honorees (3.5 semester GPA; 39%) in the fall. Of the 82 student-athletes with a 4.0 semester GPA, 18 carry a 4.0 cumulative GPA.
2020 Fall Semester Notable Numbers*:
3.51 semester grade-point average
3.30 cumulative GPA
742 student-athletes with 3.0 semester GPA
82 student-athletes with a 4.0 semester GPA
327 student-athletes on Dean's List (3.5 GPA)
31 teams (of 31 total) with a 3.3 GPA or higher
* - alternative grading used due to COVID-19 pandemic
"Every day I have such gratitude and appreciation for the amazing young men and women who learn, train and compete in a Penn State uniform. They continue to handle these uncertain times with an amazing resilience and have maintained our tradition of excellence in the classroom, despite the numerous challenges." said Sandy Barbour, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. "Our Morgan Academic Center staff has always done an unbelievable job in creating conditions for success for our students but have been even more stalwart during the pandemic. For the second-straight semester, all 31 teams earned a 3.0 GPA while dealing with a combination of in-person and remote learning classes. I have always been proud of our students but the way they have come together during this time to represent our university, athletic department, alumni and donors, brings that pride to another level."
More Than 500 Nittany Lion Students Earn at Least 3.0 GPA for Fourth-Straight Fall Semester
Seven hundred forty-two Nittany Lion students posted a 3.0 GPA or higher during for the fourth-straight fall semester. The Nittany Lions had 535 students with a 3.0 GPA in the fall of 2019. In addition, Russ Mushinsky, Director of the Morgan Academic Center, reported 327 student-athletes earned Dean's List status by posting at least a 3.5 GPA (minimum 12 credits) during the fall semester.
Overall, Penn State student-athletes had a 3.51 grade-point average during the most recent semester.
All 31 of Penn State's squads posted a team GPA of 3.30 or higher. A total of 88 percent of 845 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 during the fall with a 3.75 GPA, followed by the women's soccer (3.72), women's tennis (3.70), field hockey (3.69). Men's soccer had the highest GPA among the men's programs with a 3.59.
Student-Athletes with 3.0 GPA or Higher; Fall Semester, 2014-20
Fall 2020 – 742*
Fall 2019 – 535 (fall and overall record)
Fall 2018 – 518
Fall 2017 – 520
Fall 2016 – 498
Fall 2015 – 516
Fall 2014 – 500
* - alternative grading used due to COVID-19 pandemic
Student-Athletes Earning Dean's List Honors; Fall Semester, 2014-20
(3.5 GPA or higher; minimum 12 credits)
Fall 2020 – 327*
Fall 2019 – 280 (fall and overall record)
Fall 2018 – 239
Fall 2017 – 253
Fall 2016 – 223
Fall 2015 – 234
Fall 2014 – 241
* - alternative grading used due to COVID-19 pandemic
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 92 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.
Penn State Among the Nation's Most Comprehensive and Successful Athletic Programs
Under the leadership of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour, 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). The Nittany Lions' 31 programs are tied for the fourth-highest number of sports sponsored by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institution.
Penn State student-athletes have led the athletic department to 34 Big Ten championships and nine NCAA National Championships since October 2013. The Nittany Lions have finished in the top 15 of the Learfield IMG College Director's Cup 19 times in the last 26 years (the Director's Cup was not awarded in 2019-20).
Record-Breaking NCAA Graduation Success Rate
The 2020 NCAA's annual graduation rates study of institutions across the nation revealed Penn State student-athletes at the University Park campus earned a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 92 percent to break the school's all-time record of 91, which was previously set in the 2019 NCAA report. Nittany Lion students posted a 92 percent graduation rate compared to the 88 percent average for all Division I institutions for students entering from 2010-11 through the 2013-14 academic year.
Penn State student-athletes have logged a Graduation Success Rate in the 88-92 percent range during each of the past 14 NCAA reports, improving from 88 percent in the 2015 report to a record-breaking 92 percent report in 2020. Nine Nittany Lion programs earned 100 percent graduation rates and 16 programs were above the national average for their sport.
