The NCAA Eligibility Center determines whether you are academically eligible to participate in D-I or D-II athletics. You register at the start of your junior year of high school; and you must be certified with the Eligibility Center before you can receive an athletic scholarship and subsequently practice or compete during your first year of enrollment. 

D-I Requirements

• Graduate from high school
• Complete 16 core courses*:

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of math
• 2 years of science [natural or physical; one lab] • 2 years of social science
• 1 additional year of English, science or math
• 4 years of additional classes, including those listed above as well as foreign language, philosophy or nondoctrinal religion

• Attain a minimum grade point average [GPA] in your classes and a minimum SAT** or ACT** test score, according to the NCAA’s D-I sliding scale.

D-II Requirements

• Graduate from high school
• Complete 14 core courses*:

• 3 years of English
• 2 years of math
• 2 years of science [natural or physical; one lab] • 2 years of social science
• 2 additional years of English, science or math
• 3 years of additional classes, including those listed above as well as foreign language, philosophy or nondoctrinal religion

• Attain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in your classes
• Attain a minimum combined verbal and math SAT** score of 820 or an ACT** score of 68

D-III Requirements
There are no NCAA academic eligibility requirements for D-III colleges/universities. Check with your college for specific admission policies.

If you meet all requirements
You become certified to participate in D-I or -II athletics, and you can practice and compete during your first year of enrollment. You will also be eligible for an athletic scholarship.

If you do not meet all requirements
Your college can file an initial-eligibility waiver to the NCAA on your behalf. An NCAA academic committee will review the circumstances and determine whether to extend a waiver. You may not be able to receive an athletic scholarship during your first year of enrollment. However, you might still receive need-based financial aid, if you qualify.

For D-II, you will be designated a partial qualifier if you graduate from high school and either achieve the necessary SAT or ACT score or complete the 14 required courses and attain at least a 2.0 GPA. As a partial qualifier, you can become eligible to receive an athletic scholarship and practice with the team, but you cannot compete during your first year of enrollment.

If you don’t graduate from high school, or if you fail to meet the aforementioned NCAA academic standards per division, you will be designated a nonqualifier. This means you can’t practice, compete or receive a scholarship during your first year of enrollment for D-I or -II athletics.

*Core courses must be NCAA-approved. For a list of approved courses, check out the NCAA Eligibility Center’s website. Vocational courses, including auto mechanics, agriculture, health and accounting, are not accepted. If you take a college course while enrolled in high school, you can receive credit for the class, which must appear on your transcript if you’re heading to a D-I school.

**The Eligibility Center requires that your SAT or ACT scores be submitted by the testing agency. Scores will not be accepted if they are only reported on your transcript.

NCAA D-I Sliding Scale

For GPAs below 2.5, check out ncaaclearinghouse.net

Related Links:

Controlling Your Recruiting Opportunities 

Recruiting Terminology 

Receiving Financial Aid 

Division & Sport Breakdown 

Getting Noticed by College Coaches 

Communicating with a College Coach 

Gauging a Coach’s Interest 

College Visits

Researching Colleges