Students planning to participate in intercollegiate athletics at an NCAA Division I or II institution must have their academic and amateurism status certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center.
To play sports in a NCAA Division I school, a student must graduate from high school, complete the 16 Division I core courses listed below, earn a minimum 2.300 course grade-point average, and earn the minimum combined SAT of 980 or ACT sum score that matches your core course grade-point average on the sliding scale.
(e.g., a 2.400 core course grade-point average requires a minimum 940 combined SAT score or a 71 ACT sum score).
To play sports in a NCAA Division II school, a student must graduate from high school, complete the 16 Division II core courses listed below, earn a minimum 2.200 core-course grade-point average, and earn a combined SAT sum score of 920 or an ACT sum score of 70.
Division I Core Academic Requirements
- For students enrolling in a college or university on or after August 1, 2016.
- 4 years English
- 3 years mathematics (at Algebra I level or higher)
- 2 years social science
- 2 years natural or physical science (one lab if offered at any high school attended)
- 1 year additional English, mathematics, or natural/ physical science
- 4 years additional from areas above or foreign language, philosophy or comparative religion
- 1) Full qualifier = competition, athletics aid (scholarship), and practice the first year. 2) Academic redshirt = athletics aid the first year, practice in first regular academic term (semester or quarter). 3) Nonqualifier = no athletics aid, practice or competition the first year.
- Ten core courses, seven of which must be in English, math or natural/physical science, required before beginning of senior year.
Division II Core Academic Requirements
- 3 years English
- 2 years mathematics (Algebra I or higher)
- 2 years natural or physical science
- 3 additional years of English, math, or natural or physical science
- 2 years of social science
- 4 years of additional core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy)
- Division II Qualifier = competition, receive athletics aid (scholarship), and practice during the first year.
- Division II Partial Qualifier = can not compete, can receive athletics aid the first year and practice with team during the first year.
Core courses, high school transcripts, and test scores for all prospective Division I and II students must be reviewed by the NCAA Eligibility Center. School counselors and student activities coordinators at each high school can direct students regarding the submission of the Student Release Form, appropriate records, and a fee.
The NCAA rules are complex, so students should ask coaches, student activities coordinators, and school counselors for help. It is important to let the counselor know if a student plans to seek an athletic scholarship. More detailed information is available on the NCAA website at http://www.ncaa.org/.
Division III does not use the NCAA Eligibility Center. Contact your Division III college regarding policies on amateurism and eligibility requirements for sports.