YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — For the fifth time in the last seven seasons, Youngstown State's women's basketball program is celebrating having one of the top four grade-point averages in the nation.
The 2025-26 team registered a combined GPA of 3.820 to rank fourth on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. That follows the previous year's achievement of recording the country's third-highest GPA despite having seven freshmen on the roster.
Youngstown State has had one of the nation's top 25 GPAs in 15 of the last 16 years, and this marks the ninth time since 2010-11 that YSU has ranked among the top 10.
"I'm extremely proud of our student-athletes for once again being among the top academic teams in the country," said Penguins Head Coach Melissa Jackson. "Our program has high standards of academic achievement, and to be one of the nation's best again shows their commitment to the classroom and those expectations."
The Penguins posted a 3.85 team GPA during the 2026 spring semester as eight players earned a 4.0 semester GPA. YSU finished the 2025-26 academic year with 10 players boasting at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA. The Guins recorded a 3.86 team GPA during the 2025 fall semester as six players earned a 4.0 semester GPA, and all 12 student-athletes were above 3.50 for the semester.
No other program in the country can match Youngstown State's consistency of being on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll in the last 16 years. Starting with the 2010–11 season, YSU has made the list every year except 2013-14. This is the program's 12th appearance and its eighth time in the top 10 in the past 12 years.
YSU previously ranked third in 2024-25, first in 2023–24, second in 2019–20 and 2020–21, third in 2015–16, sixth in 2011–12, seventh in 2018–19, 10th in 2017–18, 12th in 2022–23, 16th in 2021–22, 17th in both 2010–11 and 2012–13, 22nd in 2014–15, and 24th in 2016–17.
Fellow Horizon League member Green Bay topped the list in 2025-26 with a 3.965 GPA, giving YSU's conference the No. 1 spot in three consecutive seasons. The Horizon League also had Milwaukee at No. 18 and Cleveland State at No. 20.
