Why Division III Athletics Could Be Your Best Fit

Many student-athletes focus on Division I or Division II athletic programs when they think about playing in college, even if Division I isn’t a reality for them.

Less than 1 percent of college athletes get a Division I full ride; but the flip side of this conversation is that Division III schools can be a great fit for student-athletes.

Why Division III is a great fit for student-athletes


L. Jay Lemons, the president of Susquehanna University, wrote a piece for Huffington Post about the ways that Division III schools support student-athletes as whole students:

Division III, the largest grouping in the NCAA’s membership, aspires to be the purist form of intercollegiate athletic competition. As there are no athletic scholarships, all athletes compete for the love of sport. In fact, the Division III philosophy states that our colleges and universities place the highest priority on the overall quality of the educational experience and on successful completion of the student’s academic program. Read the rest of President Lemons’s post here.


Playing Division III athletics doesn’t mean your financial aid will be hurt


That line I just quoted from President Lemons is a concern we often hear from student-athletes and parents: “But Division III athletic programs can’t offer athletic scholarships.”

What they’re saying is, “If I go to a Division III school, won’t I have to pay more?”

But just because DIII schools don’t give out athletic scholarships doesn’t mean the student-athlete’s financial obligations will increase. Academic, merit and need-based financial aid are all ways that DIII student-athletes are able to keep the cost of college down. This is one reason why we advocate for every senior to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).


Division III athletic programs aren’t less serious than other programs


If you read through President Lemons’s post, one thing you might notice is that he’s worried Division III schools actually aren’t maintaining a healthy school-sport-life balance for student-athletes:

We must recognize that our Division III student-athletes, and their parents, are increasingly products of that culture. In particular, the excesses of the culture affect expectations about athletics time commitments that are at odds with the DIII philosophy. We must resist and, when necessary, combat the mindset that “more is necessary,” or “more is better.” We must distinguish what the Division III competitive model has to offer and why, in the long run, it is superior to the troubling trend evolving in youth sports.

This is another common concern: Is it somehow “less prestigious” or “less serious” to play my sport at a DIII level? But as President Lemons writes, college athletes are just as serious — and have the potential to let their athletics overcome the rest of their student-life experience — at any level.

It’s really not the right way to frame the question. Looking at college programs, you need to see beyond the initial name value of a university, or where a parent might have played their sport when they went to school, and think about whether the program is the right fit academically, athletically and socially.

And it has to be all three.

How will you find the college that's the right fit for you academically, athletically and socially? Complete our registration form and one of our Sports Consultants will be in touch to kick-start the process.



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Ryan Kelly

Ryan Kelly

Head of Digital Media

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