Which high school sports yield the most scholarships?

I am a high school athlete and I'm curious - are some sports more likely than others to earn student athletes scholarships? Winning a sports scholarship would be a game-changer for my college plans. Thanks for your help!

Absolutely, certain sports do tend to result in more scholarship opportunities than others, taking into account both the number of scholarships available and the number of participants in that sport. In terms of sheer numbers, NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I and II schools offer over 180,000 athletic scholarships each year. Some of these sports are Head Count sports where full scholarships are given, such as Men's Football (85 full scholarships are available per team), Men's Basketball (13 full scholarships per team), Women’s Basketball (15 full scholarships per team), Women’s Gymnastics (12 full scholarships), Women's Volleyball (12 full scholarships) and Women’s Tennis (8).

However, two key elements to consider are the number of athletes competing and the total number of scholarships available. For instance, while football offers many scholarships, it is also among the most competitive sports, with a high number of athletes vying for those scholarships.

By contrast, sports like crew (rowing), fencing, and ice hockey are less common, resulting in less competition for those scholarships. For instance, ice hockey, relatively less saturated on the high school level, offers quite a few scholarships to women as colleges promote gender equity in scholarships. Men's Gymnastics is another one (though the program isn't available at as many schools) where you could stand a better chance at securing a scholarship because of the lower participation rate.

All in all, it's crucial to remember that earning an athletic scholarship is about more than your skill in a sport. Academic performance also often plays a large role, and many schools recruit students who are both great athletes and academically inclined. Good luck!