Division I academic eligibility

To be eligible to compete in NCAA sports during your first year at a Division I school, you must graduate high school and meet ALL the following 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
  • Complete 10 core courses, including seven in English, math or natural/physical science, before your seventh semester. Once you begin your seventh semester, you may not repeat or replace any of those 10 courses to improve your core-course GPA.
  • 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.

For more details about the Eligibility Center’s response to COVID-19, click here (PDF).

Division II Academic Eligibility

To be eligible to compete in NCAA sports during your first year at a Division II school, you must meet academic requirements for your core courses, grade-point average (GPA) and test scores.

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 2.2 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.

For more details about the Eligibility Center’s response to COVID-19, click here (PDF).