NCAA Academic Requirements

NCAA Academics

Division 1 Academic Requirements

  • Complete 16 core courses:

    • Four years of English

    • Three years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)

    • Two years of natural/physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it)

    • One additional year of English, math or natural/physical science

    • Two years of social science

    • Four additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language,

  • Earn at least a 2.3 GPA in your core courses.

  • Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale, which balances your test score and core-course GPA. If you have a low test score, you need a higher core-course GPA to be eligible. If you have a low core-course GPA, you need a higher test score to be eligible. (Standardized test scores are excluded from NCAA elgibility criteria for students who initially enroll full time in an NCAA school during the 2022-23 or 2023-24 school year)

Divsion 2 Academic Requirements

  • Complete 16 core courses:

    • Three years of English.

    • Two years of math (Algebra 1 or higher).

    • Two years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it).

    • Three additional years of English, math or natural or physical science

    • Two years of social science

    • Four additional years of English, math, natural or physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy

  • Earn at least a 2.2 GPA in your core courses.

  • Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division II sliding scale, which balances your test score and core-course GPA. If you have a low test score, you need a higher core-course GPA to be eligible. If you have a low core-course GPA, you need a higher test score to be eligible.

If you don't met the above requirements, you can be an academic redshirt

Division 1 Redshirt

If you have not met all the Division I academic requirements, you may not compete in your first year at college. However, if you qualify as an academic redshirt you may practice during your first term in college and receive an athletics scholarship for the entire year.

To qualify as an academic redshirt, you must graduate high school and meet ALL the following academic requirements:

  • Complete 16 core courses:

    • Four years of English

    • Three years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)

    • Two years of natural/physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it)

    • One additional year of English, math or natural/physical science

    • Two years of social science

    • Four additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy

  • Earn at least a 2.0 GPA in your core courses.

  • Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale.

Division 2 Redshirt

If you enroll full-time at a Division II school, and you have not met all the Division II academic requirements, you may not compete in your first year. However, if you meet the requirements to be a partial qualifier, you may practice and receive an athletics scholarship in your first year at college. To be a partial qualifier, you must graduate high school and meet ALL the following requirements:

  • Complete 16 core courses:

    • Three years of English.

    • Two years of math (Algebra 1 or higher).

    • Two years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it).

    • Three additional years of English, math or natural or physical science

    • Two years of social science

    • Four additional years of English, math, natural or physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy

  • Earn at least a 2.0 GPA in your core courses.


NCAA Eligibility Center

  • You need to be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center to compete at an NCAA Division I or II school.

  • You need to create a Certification Account to make official visits to Divisions I and II schools or to sign a National Letter of Intent.

***Before paying a fee, check with your counselor.