I'm a female athlete in high school, and I'm wondering which sports offer the most scholarship opportunities for women. Is there a particular sport that colleges prioritize when giving out scholarships to female athletes?
The scholarships available to you don't just depend on your sport, but also the division of the college. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) regulates the number of scholarships that Division I and II schools can offer - Division III schools don't offer athletic scholarships.
In terms of the sports providing the most scholarship opportunities for women, basketball, volleyball, and track and field generally have a high number of scholarships given that these sports usually field large teams.
1. For NCAA Division I schools, sports like basketball offer a maximum of 15 scholarships; volleyball offers 12, and track and field/cross country offer 18.
2. In the NCAA Division II, women’s basketball has a maximum of 10 scholarships, volleyball has a maximum of 8, while track and field/cross country has a maximum of 12.6.
3. In terms of pure numbers, rowing stands out in NCAA Division I, with schools being allowed to give up to 20 scholarships.
However, keep in mind that schools aren't required to provide the maximum allowed in each sport, and many schools offer fewer than the maximum. Furthermore, an important thing to note is that in Division I and II schools "head count" sports like basketball and volleyball can only offer full scholarships, whilst "equivalency" sports like track and field/cross country and rowing the scholarship money can be divided and offered to multiple athletes as partial scholarships.
So your goal should ideally not only be to target a sport with a high number of scholarships, but also to excel in your chosen sport to make you a desirable recruit for colleges. And remember, besides the athletic scholarships, you may also be eligible for financial aid based on need or merit, or other institutional scholarships that the university offers. Therefore it's crucial to consider your overall college budget when considering scholarship opportunities.
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