Becoming a Student-Athlete

Going to college and becoming a student-athlete is the dream for many high-school students in the United States, but also for many students around the world. Students seek the chance to receive a great education while continuing to pursue the sport they love.

Key Takeaways

• More than 8 out of 10 student-athletes complete their degree
• Being an athlete has many advantages, such as academic and financial support
• The most important long-term benefit will be your strong team network

College Athletics

More than 600,000 students-athletes compete in more than 20 sports every year at the college level. Schools support their student-athletes throughout the year by providing tutoring and counselling as well as round the clock support to ensure athletes excel in both the classroom and athletics.

In fact, more than eight out of ten student-athletes successfully complete their bachelor’s degree, and more than 35 percent continue to earn a master’s degree.

Learn more

• The life of a student-athlete
• How to get recruited by a college team
• How to pay for college with scholarships

Advantages & Opportunities

1) Get accepted to top schools: The advantages for you as a student-athlete are both short and long-term. In the short-term, your skills and talents might just be your ticket to get into the school of your choice. Many top tier universities are costly and highly selective, but being recruited for your sport can really make the difference to get you accepted and finance your time in college.

2) Athletic Scholarships: For many families, tuition and other costs can be an extremely high barrier. As a student-athlete, however, you have access to large amounts of financial assistance. In the NCAA alone, more than 1,100 schools sponsor $3.5 billion in athletic scholarships annually to over 180,000 student-athletes.

3) Academic Support: Once you are in college, you will benefit from various academic support whether it’s from your student advisors, college coaches, or team mates. You will find yourself in a community that provides countless opportunities to learn, compete, and succeed. In addition, you will be part of a strong support system with your team, and have access to state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, and medical care.

4) Long-term benefits: In the long run, you will benefit from your sports network, meet friends for life, and gain invaluable experiences. In fact, student-athletes are more likely to graduate than regular students and feel generally better prepared for life.

This College Sports Guide provides you with information about college sports. We cover the entire recruiting process, the varying athletic and academic requirements for student-athletes, scholarships, college applications, and also what to expect from a life as a student-athlete.

We’ve compiled numerous data, as well as our own experiences as student-athletes and college coaches from various Division I, II, and III college programs to provide you with all the answers to the questions you may have.

Start your recruiting process today and become a student-athlete!