UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Twenty-six Penn State student-athletes across 18 different programs are slated to graduate on Saturday, Aug. 12. The 26 Nittany Lions along with the 150 throughout the fall and spring combine for 176 total graduates for the 2022-23 academic year.
Among the 18 sports teams set to have representation at this weekend's ceremonies is Big Ten Champion and National Championship Semifinalist men's lacrosse who have the most of any program with three set to receive diplomas.
Penn State Among the Nation's Premier Athletic Programs in Comprehensive Excellence
Under the leadership of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Patrick Kraft, 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.
Graduation Success Rates
Penn State student-athletes continue to register record-breaking graduation rates and perform well above their peers nationwide. The Nittany Lions posted a record-tying 92% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 10 programs earned perfect 100% ratings. This is the sixth consecutive year the Nittany Lions have posted a record or record-tying performance in the classroom, according to data reported by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Penn State is one of only five schools that have won at least 10 NCAA Championships since 2013 and earned at least a 90 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the 2022 NCAA report (Stanford, Florida, USC, Virginia).
The NCAA's annual graduation rates report of Division I institutions across the nation revealed Penn State student-athletes at the University Park campus earned a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 92% to tie the school's all-time record of 92, which was previously set in the 2020 and 2021 NCAA report. Nittany Lion students posted a 92% graduation rate compared to the 89% average for all Division I institutions for students entering from 2012-13 through the 2015-16 academic year.
Penn State student-athletes have logged a Graduation Success Rate in the 88-92% range during each of the past 16 NCAA reports, improving from 88% in the 2015 report to a record-breaking 92% report in the last three reports.
Team by Team Honorees
Baseball – 2
Men's Basketball – 1
Men's Cross Country -1
Football – 2
Men's Hockey – 2
Men's Indoor Track – 1
Men's Lacrosse – 3
Men's Soccer – 1
Men's Tennis – 1
Men's Volleyball - 1
Wrestling – 2
Women's Basketball – 2
Women's Fencing – 1
Women's Golf – 1
Women's Indoor Track – 2
Women's Soccer – 1
Softball – 1
Women's Swimming - 1
