Penn State student-athletes continue record graduation rates
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Graphic by Annemarie Mountz
To see the full-size graphic, click on the image above.
University Park, Pa. -- Penn State student-athletes continue to graduate well above their peers nationwide, earning record-setting academic performances, according to statistical information released earlier this week by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The NCAA's annual study of institutions nationwide revealed that Penn State student-athletes at the University Park campus earned a record-tying Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 89 percent, compared to a 79 percent average for all Division I institutions for students entering from 1999-2000 through 2002-03.
This is the 19th release of institutional graduation rates since national "right-to-know" legislation was passed in 1990. In 2005, the NCAA Division I Committee on Academic Performance implemented the initial release of the team GSR data.
The GSR is the NCAA's more inclusive calculation of student-athlete academic success. The NCAA rate is more accurate than the federally mandated methodology because it includes incoming transfers and students enrolling in the spring semester who receive athletic aid and graduate and deletes from the calculation student-athletes who leave an institution and were academically eligible to compete. The federal rate does neither.
In addition to releasing each institution's overall four-year Graduation Success Rate, the NCAA also released the federal graduation rates for students and student-athletes as it has for the past 19 years.
The four-year federal graduation rate average for University Park student-athletes was 82 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 63 percent, and second to Northwestern (88) among Big Ten Conference institutions. The four-year average for University Park students was 84 percent, also far exceeding the 62 percent rate for all students nationwide.
Among the 2002-03 entering freshman class, 76 percent of Penn State student-athletes earned degrees within six years, well above than the 64 percent for all Division I institutions. Penn State's 76 percent figure was second-highest among Big Ten schools, trailing only Northwestern (88). The graduation rate for all Penn State students was 85 percent in the entering class of 2002-03.
"Penn State places great value on the academic success of our student-athletes. These numbers clearly show the dedication of our students, our academic staff and our coaches," said Penn State President Graham Spanier.
The NCAA data revealed that student-athletes from 23 of Penn State's 25 teams (track/cross country teams combined) earned a Graduation Success Rate at or above the national GSR average of 79 percent. Seven Penn State squads earned a Graduation Success Rate of 100 percent and 21 of 25 Nittany Lion teams earned a GSR higher than or equal to the national average for their respective sport.
Other highlights from the NCAA Graduation Rates Report:
-- Penn State's four-year federal graduation rate for African-American student-athletes was 78 percent, marking the 19th consecutive year the Nittany Lions topped the Division I national average (53 percent). The 82 percent GSR figure for Penn State African-American student-athletes tied the school record and was 19 points higher than the national average.
-- The Penn State football (85 percent compared to 67), Nittany Lion basketball (67 to 64 percent) and Lady Lion basketball (90 to 83 percent) teams all earned four-year Graduation Success Rates higher than the national average for their sport. The 85 percent GSR figure was a record for the Penn State football program, which earned a superlative 89 percent federal graduation rate for student-athletes entering school in 2002-03, tops among all Big Ten Conference football teams.
-- Of the Penn State student-athletes in the NCAA studies from 1993-94 through 2002-03 who exhausted their eligibility, 96 percent left with their diplomas.
The impressive graduation report comes amidst another highly-successful fall athletic season, which includes the No. 1 national ranking and 92-match winning streak by Penn State's 2007 and '08 NCAA Championship women's volleyball team, Big Ten titles by the women's cross country and women's soccer teams, the No. 7 overall NCAA Championship seed for the men's soccer team and the No. 14 Bowl Championship Series ranking by the 9-2 football team.
2009-10 NCAA Graduation Rates Report Key Comparisons:
All Students (entering class of 2002-03)
Penn State: 85 percent
Division I: 62 percent
Student-Athletes (four-year GSR)
Penn State: 89 percent
Division I: 79 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (97 percent); 2. Penn State (89 percent)
Student-Athletes (four-year federal)
Penn State: 82 percent
Division I: 63 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (88 percent); 2. Penn State (82 percent)
Student-Athletes (entering class of 2002-03)
Penn State: 76 percent
Division I: 64 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (88 percent); 2. Penn State (76 percent)
African-American Student-Athletes (four-year GSR)
Penn State: 82 percent
Division I: 63 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (92 percent); 2. Penn State (82 percent)
African-American Student-Athletes (four-year federal)
Penn State: 78 percent
Division I: 53 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (79 percent); 2. Penn State (78 percent)
Football Student-Athletes (entering class of 2002-03)
Penn State: 89 percent
FBS: 55 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Penn State (89 percent); 2. Northwestern (86 percent)
Football Student-Athletes (four-year GSR)
Penn State: 85 percent
FBS: 67 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (92 percent); 2. Penn State (85 percent)
Football Student-Athletes (four-year federal)
Penn State: 80 percent
FBS: 55 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (81 percent); 2. Penn State (80 percent)
Female Student-Athletes (four-year GSR)
Penn State: 96 percent
Division I: 88 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (99 percent); 2. Illinois (97 percent); 3. Penn State (96 percent)
Female Student-Athletes (four-year federal)
Penn State: 91 percent
Division I: 71 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (93 percent); 2. Penn State (91 percent)
Female Student-Athletes (entering class of 2002-03)
Penn State: 86 percent
Division I: 72 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (91 percent); 2. Penn State, Michigan State, Minnesota (86)
Male Student-Athletes (four-year GSR)
Penn State: 84 percent
Division I: 72 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (95 percent); 2. Penn State (84 percent)
Male Student-Athletes (four-year federal)
Penn State: 76 percent
Division I: 56 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (84 percent); 2. Penn State (76 percent)
Male Student-Athletes (entering class of 2002-03)
Penn State: 71 percent
Division I: 57 percent
Big Ten rankings: 1. Northwestern (86 percent); No. 2 Penn State (71 percent)
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