College Baseball Scholarships and Requirements
How baseball scholarships work, which college programs can offer aid, and what coaches look for before you reach out.
Which Colleges Offer Baseball Scholarships?
Explore baseball programs across NCAA Division I, Division II, NAIA and junior colleges that can offer athletic scholarships. Division III schools don't award them but may offer academic and need-based aid.
NCAA Division I Baseball Scholarships
NCAA Division I baseball can offer scholarships. Opted-in schools use a roster limit of 34 instead of a scholarship cap.
NCAA Division II Baseball Scholarships
NCAA Division II baseball teams share 9 scholarship equivalencies, so awards are often partial.
NCAA Division III Baseball Scholarships
NCAA Division III schools can't award athletic scholarships, but coaches still recruit. Many offer academic and need-based aid through the financial aid office.
NAIA Baseball Scholarships
NAIA colleges can offer athletic scholarships, but each school decides how much within NAIA rules. Total aid can't exceed the cost of attending.
NJCAA Baseball Scholarships
NJCAA aid depends on the division: Division I can offer full scholarships, Division II covers tuition, fees and books, and Division III offers none.
How Do College Baseball Scholarships Work?
College baseball scholarships help student-athletes pay for college based on their athletic ability. Learn how full and partial scholarships work, which NCAA and NAIA schools offer baseball aid, and what you need to qualify for a baseball scholarship.
What Is a Baseball Athletic Scholarship?
An athletic scholarship is financial aid a college gives an athlete to compete for its baseball team. The college decides who receives one and how much, usually through the coaching staff. NCAA Division I and II schools, NAIA schools and some junior colleges can offer them. NCAA Division III schools cannot.
Full vs. Partial Baseball Scholarships
A full scholarship covers the main costs of attending, and a partial scholarship covers part of them. The NCAA says most athletics scholarships are partial, and athletes often combine them with academic awards and need-based aid. Division II baseball teams share 9 scholarship equivalencies. Ask each baseball coach how the program splits its aid across the roster.
NCAA Division I Baseball Scholarship Rules
In June 2025 the NCAA Division I Board adopted roster limits to replace sport-specific scholarship limits. They apply to schools in the defendant conferences and to schools that opt in to the settlement rules, and they took effect July 1, 2025. Those schools can offer partial or full scholarships to any athlete on their roster, within the roster limit. Schools that have not opted in follow different rules, so you cannot assume one limit applies everywhere. Ask each program what it can offer. For baseball, the limit is 34.
NAIA and Junior College Baseball Scholarships
NAIA first-time athletes need an eligibility determination from the NAIA Eligibility Center, and each NAIA college decides what athletic aid to offer within the NAIA limits for its sports. NJCAA colleges follow their division: Division I may offer full scholarships, Division II covers tuition, fees and books, and Division III offers none. Always confirm a college's level before you plan around aid.
Athletic vs. Academic Baseball Scholarships
Students in every division can receive academic scholarships, grants and need-based aid. Division III schools do not give athletic scholarships, so their athletes rely on these other types of aid. Many athletes at other levels combine athletic aid with them.
How to Qualify for Baseball Scholarships
Colleges offer baseball scholarships to athletes they recruit, so the conversation usually starts with a coach who knows who you are. When you write, lead with your position, height and weight, and measurables like exit velocity, 60-yard time or pitching velocity and include a skills video with game at-bats or bullpen work. A coach decides based on their roster needs, their budget and what they see in you, and no one can promise an offer.
What Baseball Coaches Evaluate
What coaches check for each position, and what to send when you ask about aid.
Pitchers
- Velocity and command
- Secondary pitches and movement
- Mechanics and room to grow
- Bullpen or game video from behind and the side
- Fastball velocity and innings pitched
- Strikeouts, walks and ERA
Catchers
- Receiving, blocking and game calling
- Pop time and arm strength
- Bat and leadership
- Video of receiving and throws to second
- Pop time
- Batting statistics
Infielders
- Range, hands and arm accuracy
- Contact and power at the plate
- Running speed
- Defensive reps and at-bats on video
- 60-yard time and exit velocity
- Batting average and on-base percentage
Outfielders
- Speed, routes and arm strength
- Tracking fly balls
- Offensive production
- Video of throws and at-bats
- 60-yard time
- Exit velocity or home runs
College Baseball Programs by Level and Team
Division III has the most college baseball programs we list (382 of 1557). The most are in New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. We list 4,000+ baseball coaches you can contact.
How Do You Get a Baseball Scholarship?
Get answers about baseball scholarship requirements, NCAA divisions, scholarship amounts, and how to get recruited by college baseball coaches.
Do baseball showcases matter for scholarships?
Showcases give coaches measured velocity, exit velocity and 60-yard times, which helps them compare recruits. Coaches also recruit from high school and travel games and from video, so a showcase helps but isn't required. Find baseball coaches.
What fastball velocity do I need for a baseball scholarship?
There is no fixed number. Coaches compare you with the pitchers on their roster and weigh command, movement and how much you can still improve. Send measured velocity with the video it came from.
Why are most baseball scholarships partial?
Division II baseball teams share 9 scholarship equivalencies across the whole roster, and a coach divides them among players. That is why partial awards are common, and why academic and need-based aid often fill the gap.
Should I send a hitting video and a pitching video?
If you do both, send both and label each. Coaches usually recruit you for one role first, so lead with the one you want to play at the next level.
How many scholarships can a baseball team give?
At Division I schools that opted into the House settlement, baseball uses a roster limit of 34 in place of a scholarship cap. Division II baseball teams share 9 scholarship equivalencies. NAIA and NJCAA set their own limits, so confirm the current figures with each college.
What are the requirements for a baseball scholarship?
There are two parts. To compete in NCAA Division I or II you register with the NCAA Eligibility Center, complete 16 core courses and reach a minimum core GPA, currently 2.3 for Division I and 2.2 for Division II, and standardized test scores are no longer required for initial eligibility. Then a coach decides on an offer from roster needs, budget and what they see in you, starting with your position, height and weight, and measurables like exit velocity, 60-yard time or pitching velocity. NAIA and NJCAA have their own rules. NCAA Eligibility Center.
Do Division III baseball programs offer scholarships?
No. Division III schools cannot award athletic scholarships, and AthleticScholar lists 382 Division III baseball programs. Many offer academic merit and need-based aid, and their coaches still recruit baseball athletes. Ask each program about aid and talk to the college's financial aid office. Find baseball coaches.
Does AthleticScholar give out scholarships?
No. AthleticScholar does not award scholarships or verify which colleges currently have scholarships available. It helps you find college programs and email their coaches so you can ask directly.
Athletic Scholarships in Other Sports
See how scholarships work and which colleges offer them in another sport.
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