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Sports scholarships in the USA are highly sought after by students who want to study abroad. These scholarships require candidates to be active athletes with proven success in their sport.
There are three main organizations that award sports scholarships in the USA:
The NCAA is the largest organization, covering a huge number of universities, scholarships, and college sports leagues. Within the NCAA, universities are divided into three different divisions:
To compete in these leagues, students must complete a certain number of courses during high school. The exact requirements for subjects, type, and grades may vary depending on the sport and the university within the NCAA. Generally, students must fulfill requirements in English, math, social sciences, natural sciences, and electives. The GPA must be at least 2.3 on a 4.0 scale, which equals about 3.3 on a 5.0 scale.
GPA requirements and test scores (SAT or ACT) also vary by sport and division. To be eligible, students must register with the NCAA or NAIA Eligibility Centers.
Annually, around 150,000 athletic scholarships are awarded (full and partial). These can last up to four years, provided the student maintains academic success and athletic performance.
Want to maximize your chances? Every sport and league has specific requirements, so make sure to research or get professional guidance. Create your free profile with StudBud and connect with college coaches today!
There are around 1,650 men’s college baseball teams in the U.S., involving around 50,000 players, some of whom receive athletic scholarships.
Across NCAA, NAIA, and junior colleges, there are slightly over 1,650 college baseball programs with about 34,500 players in total. The competition for roughly 5,400 scholarships is tough. Baseball is an equivalency sport, which means scholarships can be split among multiple players. A full-ride scholarship in baseball is rare.
Note: Ivy League and Patriot League schools do not award athletic scholarships. Division 3 schools also do not provide sports scholarships.
D1 programs often start recruiting early, sometimes even by sophomore year of high school. Athletes must maintain at least a 2.3 GPA and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
D2 athletes sometimes choose this level over D1 for more playing opportunities and sometimes better scholarship offers.
No athletic scholarships, but strong financial aid packages are often offered.
NAIA programs compete at a strong level and offer significant scholarship opportunities.
Junior college baseball gives athletes 1–2 years of development before transferring to four-year universities. Many JUCO programs are known for placing players into strong NCAA D1 and D2 programs.
Less than 1% of high school players will go on to play NCAA Division I men’s basketball — the competition is extremely tough. While the chances of getting a full scholarship are slim, it is not impossible. Opportunities exist across NCAA Divisions I–III, NAIA, and junior colleges (JUCO). NCAA Division I basketball programs offer full scholarships, meaning players have tuition, housing, and other costs covered. NCAA Division II, NAIA, and JUCO programs generally award equivalency scholarships, meaning coaches divide their scholarship budget among multiple athletes. Division III coaches cannot award athletic scholarships, but they provide strong academic and merit-based financial aid packages.
Each NCAA Division I men’s basketball program can award up to 13 full-ride scholarships. These scholarships cover tuition, housing, books, and other costs. Any additional players who join the roster are considered walk-ons and do not receive athletic financial aid.
Division II men’s basketball programs can award up to 10 equivalency scholarships. Coaches decide how to divide this budget — some players may receive partial scholarships instead of a full ride.
Division III schools cannot award athletic scholarships. However, over 80% of DIII student-athletes receive some form of financial aid (academic, merit-based, or need-based). Many of these private schools provide very competitive aid packages.
NAIA men’s basketball programs can award up to 8 scholarships per team. Like NCAA DII, these are equivalency scholarships and can be divided among players. The flexibility allows coaches to stretch funds across a larger roster.
The NJCAA has three divisions. Only Division I and Division II schools can award athletic scholarships. Division I programs can provide full scholarships, while Division II programs can cover tuition, fees, and books (but not housing). Division III does not offer athletic scholarships. In addition, Div I and II programs may cover one round-trip travel expense per year.
Learn more about Men’s Basketball
There are more than 400,000 high school girls’ basketball players, but only about 1.2% go on to compete at the NCAA Division I level. NCAA D1 programs can award full scholarships, while NCAA D2, NAIA, and JUCO programs typically divide scholarships as equivalency awards. NCAA D3 programs cannot offer athletic scholarships, but they provide strong financial aid packages.
Each NCAA Division I women’s basketball program can award up to 15 full-ride scholarships. Additional players join as walk-ons without athletic aid.
Division II women’s basketball programs can award up to 10 equivalency scholarships. Coaches often split these into partial awards to cover more athletes.
DIII schools cannot award athletic scholarships, but over 80% of student-athletes receive other forms of aid. Strong academic performance and test scores can maximize opportunities here.
NAIA women’s basketball programs can award up to 8 scholarships per team, which coaches may divide among multiple players. Partial scholarships are common, often combined with academic or need-based aid.
NJCAA Division I programs can offer full scholarships, Division II programs cover tuition, fees, and books, while Division III schools cannot award athletic scholarships. Like the men’s side, Div I and II schools may cover one annual round-trip for athletes.
Bowling is a growing college sport with scholarship opportunities, especially in NCAA Divisions I and II for women. NCAA bowling is officially a women’s sport, though there are limited scholarship opportunities for men at select schools.
Some of the top college bowling programs include Wichita State University, University of Nebraska, New Jersey City University, and Vanderbilt University. These programs award scholarships based on talent and academic performance, as NCAA eligibility rules require minimum GPA standards.
There are 43 NCAA schools sponsoring women’s bowling across D1 and D2. Only two schools sponsor men’s bowling with limited scholarships. Scholarships are equivalency-based, meaning partial awards are common.
Division II women’s bowling programs can offer up to 5 equivalency scholarships. Athletes often combine partial athletic aid with academic scholarships.
DIII schools do not award athletic scholarships but may provide strong academic and need-based aid for bowlers.
NAIA bowling programs offer scholarships as equivalency awards. Like other sports, coaches decide how to allocate funds across the roster.
NJCAA Division I and II programs can award bowling scholarships (up to full rides in Div I). Division III schools cannot award athletic scholarships. Aid is often based on talent and GPA requirements.
Cross country is one of the oldest college sports in the United States, dating back to 1938 when Indiana University won the first NCAA championship. Today, cross country holds a strong tradition across universities, and many of the nation’s top academic institutions invest significant resources into their teams. This is great news for future student-athletes: scholarships are available for both men and women. Combined cross country and track & field rosters make this one of the largest college sports in terms of opportunities. More than 1,500 universities sponsor cross country and track programs, including over 350 in NCAA Division I alone.
Top NCAA Division I men’s cross country programs include Indiana, Oregon, BYU, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Northern Arizona, Iona, Florida State, Colorado, Princeton, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Stanford, Duke, Alabama, and New Mexico.
Leading NCAA Division II programs include Shippensburg, University of Mary, Augustana, Minnesota Duluth, Tampa, Ferris State, Pittsburg State, Cal State Chico, Grand Valley State, Western Washington, Bellarmine, Adams State, and Alaska Anchorage.
Division III schools do not award athletic scholarships but provide financial aid packages through academics and merit. Some of the top DIII cross country programs include Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Amherst, Geneseo State, St. Lawrence, Calvin, Williams, Luther, Middlebury, MIT, Washington–St. Louis, and Johns Hopkins.
Top NAIA cross country programs include Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Concordia University, Bryan College, Malone University, Eastern Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, Wayland Baptist University, Shawnee State, and Oklahoma Christian University.
NJCAA cross country provides an excellent entry point for student-athletes, with up to 30 scholarships per program. Many JUCO runners transfer to top NCAA Division I and II schools after developing at the junior college level.
Top NCAA Division I women’s cross country programs include Villanova, New Mexico, Florida State, Michigan State, Virginia, Texas Tech, Michigan, Colorado, Iowa State, Syracuse, Oregon, Georgetown, Washington, Stanford, Arizona, and Providence.
Leading Division II programs include University of Mary, Shippensburg, Minnesota Duluth, Pittsburg State, Tampa, Western State, Alaska Anchorage, Augustana, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Bellarmine, Adams State, and Cal State Chico.
DIII schools do not award athletic scholarships, but provide financial aid through academic and merit packages. Some of the top DIII women’s cross country programs include Amherst, Washington–St. Louis, Luther, Williams, Calvin, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Middlebury, Wisconsin–Eau Claire, and St. Lawrence.
Top NAIA women’s cross country programs include Indiana Wesleyan, Black Hills State, University of British Columbia, Biola, Point Loma Nazarene, Simon Fraser, Concordia, College of Idaho, Cedarville, Southern Oregon, Malone, and Azusa Pacific.
JUCO women’s cross country offers up to 30 scholarships per team. Many athletes use this pathway to develop and later transfer into strong NCAA Division I and II programs.
There are 44 NCAA fencing programs across Divisions I, II, and III. Fencing is a co-ed sport, meaning men and women train and compete under the same program structure. Scholarships are limited but available at some schools, especially at the Division I level. In fencing, scholarships are usually partial (equivalency) rather than full rides.
NAIA and NJCAA do not sponsor fencing as a varsity sport, so no athletic scholarships are available through those associations.
Can you get a field hockey scholarship? Yes — but talent alone is not enough. To earn a roster spot, student-athletes must meet NCAA eligibility requirements, compete for coach attention, and balance academics. Around 6,200 athletes compete in college field hockey programs across different levels, with scholarship opportunities mainly at NCAA schools. Below is a breakdown of how scholarships work in each division.
Division I programs are allowed a maximum of 12 equivalency scholarships per team. Not all schools are fully funded, so some programs may have fewer scholarships available to distribute.
Division II programs can award up to 6.3 scholarships per team. While fewer than Division I, competition remains strong, and many talented athletes find opportunities here.
Division III schools cannot offer athletic scholarships. However, they are well known for high academic standards and competitive financial aid packages. In many cases, academic and merit aid at D3 schools can be as strong as athletic scholarships at D1 or D2 programs.
NAIA and NJCAA do not sponsor field hockey, so no athletic scholarships are offered at those levels.
For most student-athletes going through the football recruiting process, earning a scholarship is the ultimate goal. The good news: there are roughly 896 college football programs in the United States, and many of them offer scholarships. Below is a guide to scholarship opportunities in each division.
FBS programs can award up to 85 full-ride scholarships. FCS programs can award up to 63 equivalency scholarships, which coaches often split into partial awards across the roster.
Division II programs are limited to 36 scholarships. Because rosters are typically larger than 100 players, most D2 coaches spread scholarships as partial awards to support more athletes.
D3 schools cannot offer athletic scholarships, but they provide strong academic and need-based aid. For many families, these financial aid packages can rival scholarships at higher levels.
NAIA football programs can award up to 24 scholarships per team. These are equivalency scholarships, meaning coaches often split them among several players. NAIA is a strong alternative for athletes who don’t land at NCAA D1 or D2 programs.
NJCAA football programs can award up to 85 scholarships per team. These typically cover tuition, fees, and books, with some programs also offering housing support. JUCO football is a proven pathway for athletes looking to develop and transfer to NCAA D1 or D2 programs.
Earning a golf scholarship can be challenging, but not impossible. Out of 1,318 men’s college golf programs, about 972 offer scholarships. Golf is an equivalency sport, meaning coaches divide scholarship budgets across multiple players — full rides are rare. NCAA Division III schools cannot provide athletic scholarships, but often create financial aid packages using academic or merit funds.
Women’s golf is also an equivalency sport. Depending on program budgets, some players may receive full scholarships, while others are offered partial aid. Like the men, NCAA Division III women’s programs do not award athletic scholarships but provide strong academic packages. Below is a breakdown of scholarship opportunities by division.
College coaches recruit the top 3% of high school gymnasts in the country. While competition is tough, scholarships are available. There are over 1,000 NCAA gymnasts across all divisions, with about 762 total scholarships offered nationwide. The type of scholarship depends on the division.
NCAA Division I offers full scholarships (head count). Division II is an equivalency sport, where coaches divide scholarships among multiple gymnasts. NCAA Division III cannot award athletic scholarships, but often create strong financial aid packages through academic, merit, and need-based aid.
NAIA and NJCAA do not sponsor gymnastics, so no scholarships exist at those levels.
Want a full-ride scholarship for men’s college hockey? Recruits must show total commitment on the ice and in the classroom. NCAA Division I and II hockey are equivalency sports — coaches have a scholarship budget they can divide among athletes. Full rides are typically reserved for elite players from the USHL junior league or international recruits. NCAA Division III programs cannot award athletic scholarships, but often offer financial aid and merit-based awards that rival or exceed D1 and D2 packages.
Yes, scholarships are available for women’s hockey — but competition is fierce. NCAA Division I coaches focus heavily on top AAA travel team players. Like men’s hockey, recruits must show strong commitment both academically and athletically.
NAIA, NJCAA, and NCAA Division II do not sponsor women’s hockey, so no scholarships exist at those levels.
Men’s college lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. In recent years, NCAA has expanded programs across all divisions, increasing roster sizes and scholarship demand. Women’s lacrosse is also growing quickly, with new teams being added every season. Below is a breakdown of scholarship opportunities by division.
Division III schools cannot award athletic scholarships, but provide strong academic and merit aid packages.
Rowing is highly competitive at the college level. Men’s rowing scholarships are rare and typically offered only at a handful of programs like UC Berkeley, Washington, Northeastern, Stanford, and Boston University. Most men’s teams compete at NCAA D3 or Ivy League schools, which do not award athletic scholarships but may offer academic aid.
Women’s rowing, on the other hand, is an NCAA head count sport at the Division I level, making full-ride scholarships possible. Division II programs also sponsor women’s rowing with equivalency scholarships.
Shooting is an equivalency sport at the NCAA level, meaning partial scholarships can be split among athletes. Most programs are co-ed, although some schools field separate men’s and women’s teams. The NCAA limit for shooting scholarships is 3.6 per team.
There are 17 men’s and 22 women’s varsity teams. Typical roster sizes: 5 men and 8 women. Coaches may award up to 3.6 scholarships per team.
Only 2 men’s and 2 women’s teams compete at the D2 level. Average roster: 5 athletes. The scholarship cap is also 3.6 per team.
There are 4 men’s and 4 women’s teams at the D3 level. Coaches cannot award athletic scholarships, but athletes may qualify for academic or need-based aid.
There is just 1 men’s and 1 women’s team competing in the NJCAA. No athletic scholarships are available, but academic funding options exist.
Skiing is an equivalency sport. Coaches can split scholarships among athletes as long as they stay within NCAA limits. Most NCAA ski programs are alpine, though some also compete in Nordic skiing. The U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (USCSA) has over 170 member programs, many of them club teams.
Soccer scholarships in the U.S. are available for both men and women at NCAA D1, D2, NAIA, and NJCAA schools. They are an incredible opportunity for student-athletes to finance their education while competing at a high level. Most scholarships are one-year agreements, renewed annually, and only become official once the athlete signs the Nationale Absichtserklärung (NLI).
Yes — talented softball players can earn scholarships in the U.S.! More than 1,600 schools nationwide sponsor college softball and offer scholarships, which can cover part or even all tuition. Because softball is an NCAA equivalency sport, coaches can split scholarships into partial awards to maximize roster depth.
For example, an NCAA Division I coach with 12 scholarships might divide them among 18 athletes, giving each a two-thirds award. Below is the breakdown by division:
Swimming is an NCAA equivalency sport — meaning scholarships can be split among athletes. Coaches recruit swimmers who can score points at conference and national meets, not just athletes with fast times. Below are scholarship limits:
Learn more about Men’s Swimming
College tennis has the highest percentage of international athletes across all NCAA sports. In fact, more than one-third of NCAA Division I tennis players are recruited from outside the United States. Because of this global recruiting, scholarships are highly competitive but available at every level.
Track & Field (indoor and outdoor) is one of the largest scholarship sports in college athletics. Because it is an equivalency sport, coaches often split scholarships across multiple athletes instead of awarding full rides.
Learn more about Men’s Track & Field
There are more than 1,800 college volleyball programs in the U.S., offering hundreds of opportunities for student-athletes. Men’s volleyball scholarships are more limited than women’s, but opportunities exist across NCAA, NAIA, and junior colleges.
Learn more about Men’s Volleyball
Water polo scholarships are limited and often split between athletes. Ivy League and NCAA D3 schools do not offer athletic aid, only academic and merit-based packages.
Full-ride wrestling scholarships are rare. Wrestling is an NCAA equivalency sport, so coaches typically divide funds across multiple athletes instead of awarding them all to one recruit.
*Scholarships per team = maximum allowed by NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA. Actual numbers vary by school budget and funding.