UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State student-athletes registered another outstanding semester in the classroom with a 3.35 term grade-point average (GPA) in the 2025 fall semester. The Nittany Lions had 593 students (77%) with a 3.0 semester GPA and 322 Dean’s List honorees (12+ credits & 3.5 semester GPA). In addition, 63 full-time students tallied a 4.0 semester with 16 carrying a 4.0 cumulative GPA.
“I’m incredibly proud of the effort our student-athletes put into the classroom this fall,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. “Posting a 3.35 term GPA and seeing 77 percent of our students earn a 3.0 or higher speaks volumes about their dedication and commitment to representing Penn State the right way. Achievements like 322 Dean’s List honorees and 63 4.0 GPAs don’t happen by accident and they’re the result of hard work by the student-athletes and the outstanding support system provided by our coaches, staff and the Morgan Academic Center.”
2025 Fall Semester Notable Numbers:
3.35 semester grade-point average
3.32 cumulative GPA
593 student-athletes with 3.0 semester GPA
63 student-athletes with a 4.0 semester GPA
322 student-athletes on Dean’s List (3.5 GPA)
30 teams (of 31 total) with a 3.0 GPA or higher
“Our student‑athletes continue to demonstrate their commitment to academic excellence,” said Jeff Adams, Senior Associate Vice Provost and Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. “The fall semester reflects impressive achievements across the full range of majors at Penn State. And whether a student-athlete is pushing to maintain a perfect GPA or working through a particularly challenging course, the Morgan Academic Center staff deserves tremendous credit for the individualized support they provide to all of our student‑athletes.”
Women’s Ice Hockey Posts Highest Team GPA
The women’s ice hockey team recorded the highest team GPA among Penn State’s 31 programs during the fall with a 3.68 GPA, followed by the women’s soccer (3.64), women’s cross country (3.61), men’s gymnastics (3.59) and men’s tennis (3.59) rounding out the top five.
Student-Athletes with 3.0 GPA or Higher; Fall Semester, 2020-25
Fall 2025 – 593
Fall 2024 – 636 (fall and overall record)
Fall 2023 – 581
Fall 2022 – 584
Fall 2021 – 567
Fall 2020 – 742*
Fall 2019 – 535
* - alternative grading used due to COVID-19 pandemic
Student-Athletes Earning Dean’s List Honors; Fall Semester, 2020-25
(3.5 GPA or higher; minimum 12 credits)
Fall 2025 – 322
Fall 2024 – 328 (fall and overall record)
Fall 2023 – 298
Fall 2022 – 302
Fall 2021 – 289
Fall 2020 – 327*
* - 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 Dr. Patrick Kraft, Penn State has one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful athletic programs, featuring nearly 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-tying 93% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 13 programs earned perfect 100% ratings in the 2025 report. This is the ninth consecutive year the Nittany Lions have posted a record or record-tying performance in the classroom. Penn State is one of only eight schools that have won at least 10 NCAA Championships since the 2015-16 academic year and earned at least a 90 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the 2025 NCAA report (Florida, North Carolina, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, USC, Virginia).