What is an NCAA Eligibility Number?
High school student-athletes who plan to play college sports at the NCAA Division I or NCAA Division II level must obtain an NCAA Eligibility Number. This number confirms that you have met all academic requirements while maintaining your amateur status, making you eligible to compete in NCAA sports come freshman year.
How Do I Register for an NCAA Eligibility Number?
Keep in mind registration takes about 30 to 45 minutes to complete. Before registering for your NCAA Eligibility Number here, make sure you are ready to provide:
- A valid student email
- Your student education history
- Your sports participation history
- Your Amateurism Certification
- Payment (If you attend school in the United States or Canada, the fee is $100.00. If you are an international student, it is $160.00)
According to the NCAA Eligibility Center Twitter account, the NCAA encourages you to register during your sophomore year. As of January 2023, submitting your standardized test scores for your NCAA Eligibility Number is not required.
What Academic Standards Must Be Met to Fulfill NCAA Eligibility Requirements?
Note that the academic requirements for NCAA Eligibility differ slightly across the divisions and that courses must be completed between ninth grade and graduation. If you’re unsure whether you’re on the right track to complete these requirements, take the time to meet with your teachers and school counselors to evaluate your course load. Visit the page here for help calculating your core course GPA.
NCAA Division I
You must complete 16 core courses while maintaining a minimum 2.3 GPA across these core courses. These core courses consist of:
- Four years of English
- Two years of social science
- Two years of science
- Three years of math
- One additional year of English, math or science
- Four additional years of math, science, English, social science, non-doctrinal religion/philosophy or world language
NCAA Division II
You must complete 16 core courses while having a minimum 2.0 GPA across these core courses. These core courses consist of:
- Four years of English
- Two years of science
- Two years of social science
- Three years of math
- One additional year of English, math or science
- Four additional years of math, science, English, social science, non-doctrinal religion/philosophy or world language
NCAA Division DIII
If you are sure you are pursuing DIII athletics, obtaining an NCAA Eligibility Number is optional, as there are no specific NCAA-mandated academic requirements to fulfill. It is still important to make sure you meet the academic criteria for the DIII you plan to attend. If you are still considering Division I or Division II programs, you can still create a profile to obtain your NCAA ID. Should you decide later to explore Division I or II opportunities, you have the option to transition that profile to a Certification Account, which is required for DI and DII.
When Should I Register for an NCAA Eligibility Number?
If you aspire to play at the Division I or Division II level, you should create your account at the end of your sophomore year. The sooner you register, the less you will worry about later in your college recruiting process! However, remember that you can register for this number anytime in your recruiting process.