Complete List of NCAA Division 3 Colleges

More athletes compete at the NCAA Division 3 (D3) level than any other in all of college sports. Today, there are 432 D3 schools across 36 states and more than 186,000 D3 student-athletes. These schools offer competitive sports programs, high-quality education, and several extracurricular activities. This makes D3 colleges some of the best schools for your student-athlete.  

D3 colleges don’t provide the same level of competition as D1 colleges or D2 colleges. But D3 student-athletes are still highly competitive against high school state and regional champions. While some NCAA D3 schools are smaller, they are among the top academic schools in the country. Student-athletes that attend them are oftentimes as much about their grades as their sports teams. 

D3 Colleges and Scholarships

NCAA rules state that D3 schools can’t offer sports scholarships. However, a D3 college could award your student-athlete with financial aid, academic scholarships, and other grants. You might find that D3 schools can be highly competitive after comparing financial aid packages across all three division levels.  

NCAA D3 School Recruiting and Eligibility Rules

The NCAA does not require D3 athletes to meet the NCAA Eligibility Center’s requirements. However, your student-athlete must meet the NCAA amateurism requirements.  

One of the biggest benefits for athletes and coaches at D3 colleges is that there are few recruiting restrictions. The NCAA only restricts when D3 coaches can start off-campus conversations (after your student-athlete’s sophomore year) and when a student-athlete can begin taking official visits (after January 1 of their junior year).  

Is your student-athlete interested in D3 baseball, D3 soccer, D3 football, or a different D3 sport? Do they meet the academic and athletic requirements? You and your student-athlete can contact a coach at a D3 school as early and as often as you’d like.

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Best D3 Schools 

With hundreds of D3 colleges to choose from, it can be challenging to narrow down which school is best for your student-athlete. NCSA Power Rankings analyzed data from more than 380 D3 schools to help you find the best schools across the country. Discover the best D3 colleges today. 

NCAA D3 Colleges List

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