If you want to play sports at a 4-year college, you have two options: NCAA or NAIA. These are the two governing bodies of college sports. The NCAA has three divisions, and the NAIA has two, both having DI as the “highest” level. There are pros and cons of each, so we've broken down the fast facts to help you decide which is right for you.
Member Schools and Students
- The NCAA governs around 1200 schools (~500,000 athletes) across 24 sports.
- The NAIA governs 300 schools (~65,000 athletes) across 13 sports.
Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities and Campus Visits
Scholarship Allotments
- Big NCAA sports generate a lot of revenue, so there are more scholarship opportunities for NCAA athletes.
- NCAA DI and DII athletes receive aid, DIII athletes do not.
- Big NCAA DI sports use headcount (full-ride) scholarships.
- The average scholarship allotment for DI male athletes is $14,270 and for female athletes is $15,162.
- NAIA sports generate less revenue.
- All NAIA sports off only equivalency scholarships.
- The average NAIA scholarship is $7,000.
Related: Imbalances between Equivalency and Headcount Sports
Competitiveness
- NCAA DI sports teams are generally the most competitive.
- NAIA DI teams are generally more competitive than DII.
- NAIA teams are usually on the same performance level as NCAA DII or DIII.
Related: 5 Tips on NAIA Recruiting
It's important to understand both the NCAA and NAIA while going through your recruiting process. While NCAA is better for some athletes and NAIA is better for others, both create great opportunities at the next level.
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* Originally published on February 3, 2022, by Paramveer Chohan
