Athletics - Headcount, Equivalency, and D3 athletic programs - What are the differences?

A sport that generates revenue for a University is considered a headcount sport, and most student-athletes receive full scholarships.

• Men's Athletics - D1 Football (10 conferences), Basketball
• Women's Athletics - Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, and Gymnastics

The remaining D1 and D2 sports are titled equivalency sports.  As an equivalency sport, coaches have fewer scholarships to dole out than members on the roster.  Even in these sports, the odds of playing Division 1 college athletics is over 50:1.

Let's look at D3 programs instead, as these programs do not offer athletic scholarships but can still pay off for students.

• Lower cost of attendance for an A/B student? Consider schools with strength in merit scholarships for strong students vs. solely relying on limited athletic scholarships.  Check out these quality D3 schools with strength in academic merit scholarships.
• Improve the probability of admission to a selective school? Students have different talents. Some may excel in the chemistry lab, write novels, or lead an athletic team. Check out these most selective D3 schools. These schools will meet 100% of the need if a family's income and savings demonstrate a gap between the cost of attendance and ability to pay.

Love sports but not sure you want to commit the time required?  Check out club sports instead.

‍