All 31 teams record 3.0 GPA; Penn State student-athletes post 3.58 semester GPA
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State student-athletes turned in another outstanding performance in the classroom under unprecedented circumstances during the 2020 spring semester. All 31Nittany Lion teams recorded a 3.0 grade-point average and Penn State student-athletes had a 3.58 semester GPA. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State utilized an alternative grading system.
The Nittany Lions had 128 students with a 4.0 semester GPA, 694 students (89%) with a 3.0 semester GPA and 426 Dean’s List honorees (3.5 semester GPA; 54.7%) in the spring. Of the 128 student-athletes with a 4.0 semester GPA, 20 carry a 4.0 cumulative GPA.
2020 Spring Semester Notable Numbers:
3.58 semester grade-point average
3.25 cumulative GPA
694 student-athletes with 3.0 semester GPA
128 student-athletes with a 4.0 semester GPA
426 student-athletes on Dean’s List (3.5 GPA)
31 teams (of 31 total) with a 3.0 GPA or higher
“I couldn’t be prouder of how our students persevered on the academic front during the spring semester under unprecedented circumstances. To have all 31 teams earn a 3.0 team GPA in a semester that saw an unexpected transition from in-person instruction to virtual instruction is incredible and a testament to our students and their determination and grit,” said Sandy Barbour, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. “Our students continue to represent our university, athletic department, alumni and donors at a high level with their academic and athletic performances.”
More Than 500 Nittany Lion Students Earn at Least 3.0 GPA for Second-Straight Spring Semester
Six hundred ninety-four Nittany Lion students posted a 3.0 GPA or higher during for the second-straight spring semester. The Nittany Lions had 505 students with a 3.0 GPA in the spring of 2019. In addition, Russ Mushinsky, Director of the Morgan Academic Center, reported 426 student-athletes earned Dean’s List status by posting at least a 3.5 GPA (minimum 12 credits) during the spring semester.
Overall, Penn State student-athletes had a 3.58 grade-point average during the most recent semester.
All 31 of Penn State’s squads posted a team GPA of 3.00 or higher. A total of 89 percent of 779 enrolled student-athletes during the spring 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 spring with a 3.89 GPA, followed by the women’s swimming & diving (3.81), women’s gymnastics (3.79) and women’s soccer (3.79). Men’s tennis had the highest GPA among the men’s programs with a 3.76.
Student-Athletes With 3.0 GPA or higher; Spring semester, 2014-20
Spring 2020 – 694*
Spring 2019 – 505 (spring record)
Spring 2018 – 487
Spring 2017 – 495
Spring 2016 – 482
Spring 2015 – 474
Spring 2014 – 461
* – alternative grading used due to COVID-19 pandemic
Student-Athletes earning Dean’s List honors; Spring semester, 2014-19 (+16.3 percent)
(3.5 GPA or higher; minimum 12 credits)
Spring 2020 – 426*
Spring 2019 – 245 (spring record)
Spring 2018 – 229
Spring 2017 – 237
Spring 2016 – 224
Spring 2015 – 221
Spring 2014 – 205
* – alternative grading used due to COVID-19 pandemic
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).
School-Record Twenty Teams Earn Perfect 1,000 APR Scores in 2018-19; Football Posts First Single-Year 1,000 APR Score
The 20 Penn State teams that earned perfect APR scores of 1,000 in 2018-19 were: women’s basketball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, women’s fencing, field hockey, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s gymnastics, women’s gymnastics, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s volleyball, softball, women’s swimming & diving, women’s tennis, women’s track & field and women’s volleyball.
The football team posted its first 1,000 single-year APR in program history, topping the previous high of 993 in 2014-15. The women’s cross country, women’s fencing, men’s golf, women’s golf and women’s track & field teams have perfect 1,000 yearly APR scores in four consecutive reports.
Nittany Lions’ Multi-Year APR Average Again Exceeds Division I Average
The average multi-year APR score for Penn State’s 29 varsity teams is 986, above the Division I average of 983, according to the NCAA. The men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field teams are combined in the APR data, reducing the number of Penn State teams from 31 to 29 in the compilation.
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