Penn State athletes continue to graduate well above their peers nationally, earning record-setting academic performances.

The NCAA's annual study of institutions nationwide revealed that Penn State earned a record-tying Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 89 percent. The average for all Division I-A schools for students entering from 1999-2000 through 2002-03 was 79 percent

The four-year federal GSR of Penn State athletes was 82 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 63 percent, and was second only to Northwestern (88) among Big Ten Conference schools. The four-year average for Penn State students was 84 percent, exceeding the 62 percent rate nationally.

The GRS 85 percent rate for the Nittany Lions' football team was a record for the program, which earned an 89 percent federal graduation rate for athletes entering school in 2002-03, tops among all Big Ten teams.

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