Penn State Tallies 165 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars - Penn State Athletics (2024)

Academics

The Nittany Lions register a record-breaking 32 student-athletes with perfect 4.0 grade point average in 2023-24 academic year

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Athletics had 165 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars in the 2023-24 academic year. A record-breaking 32 student-athletes posted unblemished grade point averages breaking the record of 29 during the 2019-20 academic year.

The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award is presented to student-athletes who have recorded a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher during the previous academic year.

The athletic department's academic success includes 426 student-athletes earning Academic All-Big Ten honors and 186 Nittany Lions who graduated during the 2023-24 academic year.

Penn State Big Ten Distinguished Scholar totals since 2017-18:
2023-24: 165
2022-23: 174
2021-22: 157 
2020-21: 183*
2019-20: 144*
2018-19: 117
2017-18: 90
* - alternate grading system used due to COVID-19

The 32 student-athletes who posted perfect 4.0 GPAs during the 2023-24 academic year were: Connor Throneberry (baseball), Maddie Gordon (softball), Emily Maddock (softball), Kaitlyn Morrison (softball), Alli Campbell (women's basketball), Aidan Johnson (men's fencing), Arianna Proietti (women's fencing), Brie Barraco (field hockey), Carly Gannon (field hockey), Gery Schnarrs (field hockey), Judson Langille (men's golf), Michael Artlip (men's gymnastics), Will Fleck (men's gymnastics), Maggie Ayers (women's gymnastics), Gabbie Gallentine (women's gymnastics), Julie Gough (women's ice hockey), Christopher Jordan (men's Lacrosse), Kayla Abernathy (women's lacrosse), Gianna Cutatia (women's lacrosse), Sammy Dupcak (women's lacrosse), Kat Asman (women's soccer), Olivia Damico (women's soccer), Cori Dyke (women's soccer), Amanda Poorbaugh (women's soccer), Natalie Wilson (women's soccer), Mackenzie Clark (women's swim & dive), Morgan Rinn (women's swim & dive), Makenna Krebs (women's track & field), Maddie Pitts (women's track & field), Tesia Thomas (women's track & field), Alexa Marklev (women's volleyball) and Brian Borden (wrestling).

Seven programs tied or beat their previous team high for distinguished scholars. Those teams were: women's basketball, women's gymnastics, men's hockey, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, women's track & field and women's volleyball.

Women's lacrosse led the way for the second consecutive year with 20 academic honorees. Women's track & field followed closely behind with 18. On the men's side, men's lacrosse recorded the highest number of honorees with 10.

The 165 honorees boosts Penn State to a total of 1,634 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars since the program was established by the Big Ten Faculty Representatives in 2008-09 to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program.

Similar to the Academic All-Big Ten honor, Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must be in at least their second academic year at their institution. The Distinguished Scholar Award encompasses only students with a minimum GPA of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year, excluding summer school.

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 93% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 13 programs earned perfect 100% ratings. This is the seventh consecutive year the Nittany Lions posted a record or record-tying performance in the classroom, according to data reported by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).  

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 93% to break the school's all-time record, which was previously set in the 2020, 2021 and NCAA reports. Nittany Lion students posted a 93% graduation rate compared to the 90% average for all Division I institutions for students entering from 2013-14 through the 2016-17 academic year. 
  
Penn State student-athletes have logged a Graduation Success Rate in the 88-93% range during each of the past 17 NCAA reports, improving from 88% in the 2015 report to a record-breaking 93% report in the most recent report. 

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). 

Print Friendly Version

Penn State Tallies 165 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars - Penn State Athletics (2024)

FAQs

What GPA do you need for academic all-Big Ten? ›

The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for a student's academic career.

How do you get Big Ten distinguished scholars? ›

Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled full time at the institution for the entire previous academic year (two semesters or three quarters) and earned a minimum GPA of 3.70 or better during the previous academic ...

What is the graduation rate for Penn State student-athletes? ›

Penn State student-athletes have logged a Graduation Success Rate in the 88-93% range during each of the past 17 NCAA reports, improving from 88% in the 2015 report to a record-breaking 93% report in the most recent report.

How many student-athletes does Penn State have? ›

There are more than 800 Penn State student-athletes, participating in 31 varsity programs (16 men's, 15 women's), tied for the fourth-highest number of sports sponsored by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institution.

What is the hardest Big 10 school to get into? ›

Fast Facts: The Big Ten Conference. Northwestern University is the only private university in the conference, and it also the most selective. The Ohio State University has the largest undergraduate enrollment in the Big Ten. Northwestern is the smallest.

Which Big Ten has the lowest acceptance rate? ›

Best Colleges - 2025 Acceptance Rate
School NameRankPrior Acceptance Rate
Northwestern University17.2 %
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor217.7 %
University of Wisconsin-Madison349.1 %
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign444.8 %
6 more rows

Are Big 10 scholarships guaranteed? ›

Big Ten guarantees four-year scholarships.

What does it mean to be a distinguished scholar? ›

The designation of Distinguished Scholar honors faculty whose research, scholarship, and/or creative contributions promise to catapult their disciplines to new levels of innovation.

What is the graduation rate for the Big Ten? ›

Best Colleges - 2025 Graduation Rate % (4 Year)
School NameRankGraduation Rate % (4 Year)
Northwestern University188 % (3.5%)
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor282 % (1.2%)
University of Maryland-College Park376 % (8.6%)
University of Minnesota Twin Cities474 % (4.2%)
6 more rows

How many NFL players graduated from Penn State? ›

A total of 389 Nittany Lions have been selected all-time in the NFL Draft, which ranks seventh among Division I institutions. Penn State has had 54 players selected since James Franklin's arrival to the program in 2014, including 25 taken on the first two days of the draft.

How many Olympians are from Penn State? ›

The 13 medals bring Penn State's total medal count to 56, including 11 gold-medal efforts from its 143 Olympic athletes. Penn State sent a school-record 30 current and former student-athletes or club athletes representing 13 countries to compete at the Paris Olympics.

What college has the highest student-athlete graduation rate? ›

Bucknell led the way at 99 percent, Holy Cross and Lafayette followed at 98 percent, with Colgate and Lehigh finishing at 97 percent. American (95), Boston University (95), Loyola Maryland (95), Navy (94) and Army West Point (91) all exceeded the national student-athlete Graduation Success Rate of 90.

Why is Penn State so popular? ›

As one of only three land- space- sun-, and sea-grant universities in the U.S., Penn State is on the cutting edge of research, education, and service to Pennsylvania communities.

How prestigious is Penn State? ›

Penn State is generally regarded as a reputable and respected institution. While it may not hold the same level of prestige as Ivy League schools or some top-tier private institutions, it is still a well-regarded public university with a strong academic reputation, especially in certain fields.

Is Penn State hard to get into? ›

The acceptance rate at Penn State is 55.2%.

This means the school is moderately selective. The school expects you to meet their requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but they're more flexible than other schools. If you exceed their requirements, you have an excellent chance of getting in.

What GPA do you need to be all academic? ›

A graduate student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) as both an undergraduate and a grad student unless they are in their first semester as a graduate student and don't have an established graduate GPA. The cumulative grade point average may not be rounded up to 3.50.

What is the academic all-big ten team? ›

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team (as verified by being on the official squad list as of May 1 for spring sports), have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

What is the best Big Ten school for academics? ›

Northwestern

What do you need to qualify for academic all-big 12? ›

Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services, student-athletes on the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team must be new, ? rst-time/incoming freshmen that have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial coursework and achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Kerri Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 5911

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kerri Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1992-10-31

Address: Suite 878 3699 Chantelle Roads, Colebury, NC 68599

Phone: +6111989609516

Job: Chief Farming Manager

Hobby: Mycology, Stone skipping, Dowsing, Whittling, Taxidermy, Sand art, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Kerri Lueilwitz, I am a courageous, gentle, quaint, thankful, outstanding, brave, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.