What is the average college scholarship for athletes?

I'm curious about athletic scholarships and how much student-athletes can typically expect. Does anyone have insight into the average scholarship amount offered to college athletes? Trying to get a handle on what I might be eligible for down the road.

The amount offered through athletic scholarships can vary quite a bit depending on the sport, level of play, and school. Please understand that full-ride scholarships or 'head-count' scholarships are very hard to come by and are typically reserved for Division I level athletes participating in headcount sports. These include football, men's and women's basketball, and women's volleyball, gymnastics, and tennis.

On the other hand, the rest of the sports are considered 'equivalency' sports, which means the scholarship money is divided up at the coach’s discretion to attract the best athletes to their program. For example, a coach might decide to divide a total of 4 full scholarships among 8 players, effectively giving each player a half scholarship.

It's also important to know that Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships at all, but may provide other forms of financial aid.

According to recent data, the average athletic scholarship is around $14,270 for male athletes and $15,162 for female athletes in Division I and Division II per year. However, these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt because they average out grants across different sports and divisions, which have varying scholarship limits.

The best way to get an understanding of what you might be eligible for is to have a direct conversation with college coaches during the recruiting process and find out what their program can offer. You should also consider applying for academic scholarships which can help supplement any athletic scholarships you might receive. Remember, you'll still be a student first and an athlete second!