Wrestling Scholarships for College

Here’s the unfiltered truth about full-ride wrestling scholarships: they’re rare. The main reason being that men’s wrestling is an equivalency sport. In other words, NCAA Division 1 and 2 coaches are given a pool of scholarship money and can divide it up among recruits and current wrestlers however they like. So instead of offering full rides to a few wrestlers, it’s more common for them to divide their funds into partial scholarships across multiple athletes. Even though NCAA Division 3 coaches can’t offer athletic aid, they tend to create scholarship packages with other sources of money. In this section, we uncover all the facts when it comes to scholarships for wrestling.   

How many college scholarships are offered for wrestling?

Men’s wrestling is an equivalency sport, which means there isn’t a strict number of athletes who need to be on scholarship. Instead, each division is given an allocated number of scholarships and the coach decides how to divide the money up. For example, if there are 32 people on a team, instead of offering 9 full rides, the coach can choose to award partial scholarships to several athletes. For this reason, most men’s wrestlers are on partial athletic scholarships. Keep in mind, though, that these scholarship limits are the maximum amount coaches can offer. Some programs aren’t fully funded and may have fewer wrestling scholarships than listed above. 

How hard is it to get a wrestling scholarship?

In short: It isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. There are roughly 10,500 men’s wrestling athletes across 498 programs from NCAA Division 1 to the NCWA. If we break it down to the two NCAA divisions with athletic scholarships, it comes out to 4,877 athletes competing for 1,310 wrestling scholarships.  spots. From an NAIA perspective, we’re talking 1,806 athletes competing for 488 wrestling scholarships. Any way you look at it, the competition is fierce.

Plus, the number of high school men’s wrestlers has grown in the past two years, while the number of roster spots in NCAA Division 1 has historically declined from 2,754 athletes in 2000 to 2,461 today. Recruits looking to secure an athletic scholarship need to do their research, stand out academically, stay proactive in their recruiting and extend their search. For example, student-athletes may find that a Division 3 financial package made up of other forms of aid, such as academic scholarships and grants, cuts college costs the most.

How to get a wrestling scholarship

Student-athletes can improve their chances of being awarded an athletic scholarship by targeting schools that are a good fit for them, keeping their grades up and anticipating which weight classes coaches will recruit. Keep these tips in mind:  

1. Research first. Know the key differences in the division levels. NCAA Division 1, Division 2, NAIA and NJCAA programs offer athletic scholarships, while NCAA Division 3 programs provide scholarship packages made up of academic scholarships, need-based aid and merit-based scholarships. Division 3 and NAIA programs are typically smaller, private schools.
2. Know the athletic requirements. College coaches prioritize wrestling scholarships to recruits who have the ability to score points both at the state and national level. For example, a recruit who can continuously score points against elite competition would be ranked higher than a wrestler who has won more total matches but has scored fewer overall points. Maximizing your point potential in high school, in addition to being nationally ranked, will improve your chances of securing a roster spot.
3. Excel academically. College coaches are looking for student-athletes. They consider a recruit’s academic standing just as seriously as their athletic ability. Plus, high test scores and a solid GPA can land you additional academic aid. If you’re interested in D1 or D2, remember to sign up for the NCAA Eligibility Center.
4. Keep your options open. Don’t overlook a division just because it isn’t Division 1. There are several competitive programs—from Division 2 to NJCAA—that could offer a better financial package than Division 1. For example, you might find that a Division 3 package, made up of grants and academic aid, brings college costs down significantly. Not to mention there’s more wrestling scholarships available per team at junior colleges. 

Are there full ride wrestling scholarships?

While full-ride wrestling scholarships are possible, they aren’t the norm. Wrestling is an equivalency sport, so instead of having a specific number of athletes on scholarship, coaches are given a pool of money and they’re allowed to divvy it up among as many recruits and current roster athletes as they want. Therefore, they typically award partial scholarships, which means athletes still need to pay for part of their education.

At the NCAA Division 1 level, coaches have a maximum of 9.9 scholarships per team, Division 2 has 9 scholarships, and NAIA coaches have 8 scholarships. The most opportunity is at the NJCAA level, where coaches have 20 scholarships per team. 

How many scholarships for D1 wrestling? 

• D1 wrestling scholarships per team: 9.9
• Total number of D1 wrestling teams: 76
• Average team size: 32

Athletic scholarships from NCAA Division 1 wrestling programs are difficult to come by. Only one percent of high school athletes go on to compete at this level. Coaches can give out a maximum of 9.9 scholarships per year, and they usually divide this up into partial scholarships. Keep in mind that some wrestling programs aren’t fully funded, so coaches may have fewer than the maximum allowed.

NCAA Division 2 men’s wrestling scholarships

• D2 wrestling scholarships per team: 9
• Total number of D2 wrestling teams: 62
• Average team size: 33

Like NCAA Division 1, NCAA Division 2 coaches also follow the equivalency method. They can award a maximum of 9 scholarships per team. While partial scholarships can cover tuition, they typically aren’t enough to pay for all college costs. That’s why student-athletes should also apply for FAFSA and seek out academic scholarships, grants and merit-based scholarships at the schools they’re interested in.

NCAA Division 3 men’s wrestling scholarships

• D3 wrestling scholarships per team: 0
• Total number of D3 wrestling teams: 105
• Average team size: 27

Even though NCAA Division 3 schools can’t offer athletic scholarships, they leverage other types of aid the recruit might qualify for, such as academic scholarships, merit-based aid and grants, to create a competitive scholarship package. With Division 3 being mostly made up of small private schools, they tend to have these kinds of funds readily available. In fact, 82 percent of all Division 3 athletes receive some form of aid.

NAIA men’s wrestling scholarships 

• NAIA wrestling scholarships per team: 8
• Total number of NAIA wrestling teams: 61
• Average team size: 31

NAIA follows the same equivalency guidelines as the NCAA when offering athletic scholarships. Coaches at this level have 8 scholarships per team and mostly offer partial scholarships to their athletes. However, top performers could receive a wrestling scholarship that covers 75 percent of their tuition or more.  

Wrestling scholarship requirements

Every potential NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 college-athlete is required to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center and submit their transcripts and answer questions pertaining to their amateur status. To secure a roster spot and athletic scholarship, student-athletes must meet the academic requirements and be cleared by the Eligibility Center. 

While the requirements differ slightly between Division 1 and Division 2, the overall method for determining eligibility is the same: student-athletes must take 16 core courses throughout high school and maintain a minimum GPA in these core courses.. Learn more about the specific Eligibility Center requirements to get a sense of what GPA you need. 

Best colleges for wrestling scholarships

We’ve compiled a list of the best colleges for wrestling scholarships across all three NCAA division levels. Recruits interested in these programs should visit the team’s roster to determine if they’re an athletic fit and learn more about the coach’s recruiting method, such as which areas they recruit in. 

• NCAA Division 1: North Carolina, Stanford, University of Michigan, Duke, Princeton, University of Virginia, University of Wisconsin, Ohio State and Harvard
• NCAA Division 2: Colorado School of Mines, Augustana University—South Dakota, Gannon University, University of Nebraska at Kearney, University of Indianapolis and Coker College
• NCAA Division 3: John Hopkins University, Washington & Lee University, New York University, University of Chicago, Case Western Reserve University and the College of New Jersey