Penn State is among the Big Ten football leaders in an important category.

The NCAA released Graduation Success Rate scores for 2011-12 on Thursday, and Penn State ranked second in the 12-team conference behind Northwestern. Penn State posted a score of 91 percent. Northwestern had a score of 97 percent.

Penn State ranks seventh nationally among FBS schools. Northwestern and Notre Dame are tied for the nation’s top score.

The GSR includes transfer students and athletes who leave in good academic standing, unlike the federal graduation rate, which does not count transfers.

The rest of the Big Ten scores: Iowa: 82 percent, Illinois: 75, Ohio Stat:e 74, Indiana: 70, Michigan: 69, Minnesota: 69, Nebraska: 68, Wisconsin: 65, Michigan State: 64, Purdue: 59.

Penn State posted a GSR score of 87 percent last year.

Follow Guy Cipriano on Twitter @cdtguy.