UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State student-athletes recorded another outstanding semester in the classroom with a 3.28 term grade-point average (GPA) in the 2024 spring semester. The Nittany Lions had spring records with 596 students (73%) with a 3.0 semester GPA and 296 Dean’s List honorees (12+ credits & 3.5 semester GPA). In addition, 69 full-time students tallied a 4.0 semester with 17 carrying a 4.0 cumulative GPA.
“Each semester our student-athletes impress me with their dedication to not only competing at the highest level in competition, but also in the classroom,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. “The 73% of our students earning a 3.0 GPA in the spring semester shows the commitment to academics and Success with Honor we have as a department. Even more impressive is the 36% of our student-athletes collecting Dean’s List honors. We couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments of our student-athletes”
2024 Spring Semester Notable Numbers:
- 3.28 semester grade-point average
- 3.31 cumulative GPA
- 596 student-athletes with 3.0 semester GPA (spring record)
- 69 student-athletes with a 4.0 semester GPA
- 296 student-athletes on Dean’s List (3.5 GPA) (spring record)
- 27 teams (of 31 total) with a 3.0 GPA or higher
“These data show once again that our student-athletes are applying the principles of hard work, determination, and teamwork to their academic pursuits as much as to athletic competition; they are showing that these are the factors that lead to success in both,” said Jeff Adams, Interim Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education. “I am proud of all those whose accomplishments are chronicled here as well as those student-athletes who continue to apply themselves and work toward their Penn State degrees with the same tenacity they apply in their sports.”
Women’s Gymnastics Posts Highest Team GPA
The women’s gymnastics team recorded the highest team GPA among Penn State’s 31 programs during the spring with a 3.74 GPA, followed by the women’s tennis (3.73), women’s swimming & diving (3.70), women’s cross country (3.69) and women’s indoor track & field (3.64). Men’s tennis and men’s hockey had the highest GPA among the men’s programs with a 3.46.
Student-Athletes With 3.0 GPA or higher; Spring semester, 2020-24
- Spring 2024 – 596 (spring record)
- Spring 2023 – 571
- Spring 2022 – 546
- Spring 2021 – 682*
- Spring 2020 – 694*
* - alternative grading used due to COVID-19 pandemic
Student-Athletes earning Dean’s List honors; Spring semester, 2020-24 (3.5 GPA or higher; minimum 12 credits)
- Spring 2024 – 296 (spring record)
- Spring 2023 – 267
- Spring 2022 – 284
- Spring 2021 – 299*
- Spring 2020 – 426*
* - alternative grading used due to COVID-19 pandemic
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.
Penn State student-athletes earned a record 93% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 12 programs earned perfect 100% ratings in the 2023 report. This is the seventh consecutive year the Nittany Lions have posted a record or record-tying performance in the classroom. Penn State is one of only six schools that have won at least 10 NCAA Championships since 2013 and earned at least a 90 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the 2023 NCAA report (California, Florida, Stanford, USC, Virginia).