Are you ready to be a student athlete in college? As you probably know by now, your athletic ability, while important, isn’t the only requirement for being on a collegiate sports team. Your grades and your test scores are also important.
For Division I and Division II sports teams in the National College Athletic Association (NCAA), there are different GPA and test score requirements for eligibility. Essentially, your test scores and your GPA need to balance each other out. So if your GPA isn’t the highest, you’ll need higher test scores in order to compensate.
Increase your test score to improve your recruiting eligibility.
Here’s a quick review of NCAA definitions.
Division I
These schools have the largest student bodies and the most funding due to large scale television contracts, alumni funding and the sheer size of the school. In addition, the NCAA grants Div. 1 programs the most scholarships. However, the high school GPA and test score requirments are most rigorous in this divison.
Division II
These schools are smaller and there are fewer funds for their athletic departments. The NCAA grants fewer scholarships than Division I teams. Students who don’t meet all the academic requirements for Division II may be eligible for partial qualification. Partial qualifiers may do all of the same things as full qualifiers except for compete during the first year of college.
Division III
This division has the largest number of particpating schools. The majority of high school student athletes going on to compete in college end up in Div. 3. The NCAA has no set GPA or test score requirements, but it is left up to the school and their athletic department to decide on academic elibility. So for more information on that see your prospective schools website.
Redshirt Athletes
Student athletes participation is delayed or suspended in order to lengthen their eligibility period. They may attend and take classes at the college or university, practice with the team, and dress for play, but they may not compete in games. One reason that students might be redshirted is low GPA. In the case of Division I sports, students with a GPA below 2.3 are eligible for redshirt only.
Note: The NCAA does set their own GPA and test score requirements for Division III.
The tables below will show you the NCAA SAT and ACT requirements for eligibility. Note that the NCAA doesn’t look at your composite (average)ACT score between sections, but rather your total score added up. Learn more about the ACT here. Additionally, the SAT is looked at as a total score added up between each section as well. Learn more about the SAT here.
You might not be sure whether to take the SAT or ACT. Find out which one might be better for you here.
TABLE: Division I GPA and Test Score Requirements
GPA |
SAT Total Score |
ACT Total Score |
3.550 and above |
400 |
37 |
3.525 |
410 |
38 |
3.500 |
420 |
39 |
3.475 |
430 |
40 |
3.450 |
440 |
41 |
3.425 |
450 |
41 |
3.400 |
460 |
42 |
3.375 |
470 |
42 |
3.350 |
480 |
43 |
3.325 |
490 |
44 |
3.300 |
500 |
44 |
3.275 |
510 |
45 |
3.250 |
520 |
46 |
3.225 |
530 |
46 |
3.200 |
540 |
47 |
3.175 |
550 |
47 |
3.150 |
560 |
48 |
3.125 |
570 |
49 |
3.100 |
580 |
49 |
3.075 |
590 |
50 |
3.050 |
600 |
50 |
3.025 |
610 |
51 |
3.000 |
620 |
52 |
2.975 |
630 |
52 |
2.950 |
640 |
53 |
2.925 |
650 |
53 |
2.900 |
660 |
54 |
2.875 |
670 |
55 |
2.850 |
680 |
56 |
2.825 |
690 |
56 |
2.800 |
700 |
57 |
2.775 |
710 |
58 |
2.750 |
720 |
59 |
2.725 |
730 |
60 |
2.700 |
740 |
61 |
2.675 |
750 |
61 |
2.650 |
760 |
62 |
2.625 |
770 |
63 |
2.600 |
780 |
64 |
2.575 |
790 |
65 |
2.550 |
800 |
66 |
2.525 |
810 |
67 |
2.500 |
820 |
68 |
2.475 |
830 |
69 |
2.450 |
840 |
70 |
2.425 |
850 |
70 |
2.400 |
860 |
71 |
2.375 |
870 |
72 |
2.350 |
880 |
73 |
2.325 |
890 |
74 |
2.300 |
900 |
75 |
2.299 |
910 |
76 |
2.275 |
910 |
76 |
2.250 |
920 |
77 |
2.225 |
930 |
78 |
2.200 |
940 |
79 |
2.175 |
850 |
80 |
2.150 |
960 |
81 |
2.125 |
970 |
82 |
2.100 |
980 |
83 |
2.075 |
990 |
84 |
2.050 |
1000 |
85 |
2.025 |
1010 |
86 |
2.000 |
1020 |
86 |
Note: GPAs are from a 4.0 scale, and below 2.3 qualify for redshirt only.
TABLE: Division II Full Qualifier GPA and Test Score Requirements
GPA |
SAT Score |
ACT Total Score |
3.300 and above |
400 |
37 |
3.275 |
410 |
38 |
3.250 |
420 |
39 |
3.225 |
430 |
40 |
3.200 |
440 |
41 |
3.175 |
450 |
41 |
3.150 |
460 |
42 |
3.125 |
470 |
42 |
3.100 |
480 |
43 |
3.075 |
490 |
44 |
3.050 |
500 |
44 |
3.025 |
510 |
45 |
3.000 |
520 |
46 |
2.975 |
530 |
46 |
2.950 |
540 |
47 |
2.925 |
550 |
47 |
2.900 |
560 |
48 |
2.875 |
570 |
49 |
2.850 |
580 |
49 |
2.825 |
590 |
50 |
2.800 |
600 |
50 |
2.775 |
610 |
51 |
2.750 |
620 |
52 |
2.725 |
630 |
52 |
2.700 |
640 |
53 |
2.675 |
650 |
53 |
2.650 |
660 |
54 |
2.625 |
670 |
55 |
2.600 |
680 |
56 |
2.575 |
690 |
56 |
2.550 |
700 |
57 |
2.525 |
710 |
58 |
2.500 |
720 |
59 |
2.475 |
730 |
59 |
2.450 |
740 |
60 |
2.425 |
750 |
61 |
2.400 |
760 |
62 |
2.375 |
770 |
63 |
2.350 |
780 |
64 |
2.325 |
790 |
65 |
2.300 |
800 |
66 |
2.275 |
810 |
67 |
2.250 |
820 |
68 |
2.225 |
830 |
69 |
2.200 |
840 and above |
70 and above |
Note: GPAs are from a 4.0 scale, and below 2.3 qualify for redshirt only.
TABLE: Division II Partial Qualifier GPA and Test Score Requirements
GPA |
SAT Score |
ACT Total Score |
3.050 and above |
400 |
37 |
3.025 |
410 |
38 |
3.000 |
420 |
39 |
2.975 |
430 |
40 |
2.950 |
440 |
41 |
2.925 |
450 |
41 |
2.900 |
460 |
42 |
2.875 |
470 |
42 |
2.850 |
480 |
43 |
2.825 |
490 |
44 |
2.800 |
500 |
44 |
2.775 |
510 |
45 |
2.750 |
520 |
46 |
2.725 |
530 |
46 |
2.700 |
540 |
47 |
2.675 |
550 |
47 |
2.650 |
560 |
48 |
2.625 |
570 |
49 |
2.600 |
580 |
49 |
2.575 |
590 |
50 |
2.550 |
600 |
50 |
2.525 |
610 |
51 |
2.500 |
620 |
52 |
2.475 |
630 |
52 |
2.450 |
640 |
53 |
2.425 |
650 |
53 |
2.400 |
660 |
54 |
2.375 |
670 |
55 |
2.350 |
680 |
56 |
2.325 |
690 |
56 |
2.300 |
700 |
57 |
2.275 |
710 |
58 |
2.250 |
720 |
59 |
2.225 |
730 |
60 |
2.200 |
740 |
61 |
2.175 |
750 |
61 |
2.150 |
760 |
62 |
2.125 |
770 |
63 |
2.100 |
780 |
64 |
2.075 |
790 |
65 |
2.050 |
800 |
66 |
2.025 |
810 |
67 |
2.000 |
820 and above |
68 and above |
Note: GPAs are from a 4.0 scale, and below 2.3 qualify for redshirt only.
Source: From the NCAA website.
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