The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a non-profit association that regulates athletes from 1,281 institutions; conferences; organizations; and individuals. It also organizes the athletic programs for many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and helps more than 450,000 college student-athletes who compete annually in college sports.
The NCAA is broken into three divisions. Division I, Division II and Division III.
Division I
Division I schools generally have the largest population of students, manage the largest athletic budgets, and offer the most scholarships. With nearly 350 colleges and universities in its membership, Division I schools field more than 6,000 athletic teams, providing opportunities for more than 170,000 student-athletes to compete in NCAA sports each year.
Division II
Division II is a collection of almost 300 colleges and universities that provide thousands of student-athletes, who excel in the classroom, with the opportunity to compete at a high level of interscholastic athletics. On these campuses, student-athletes are recognized for their academic success, athletic contributions as well as campus and community involvement.
Division III
More than 170,000 student-athletes at 444 institutions make up Division III — the largest NCAA division both in number of participants and number of schools. The Division III experience offers participation in a competitive athletic environment that pushes student-athletes to excel on the field and build upon their potential by tackling new challenges in the classroom.
