As you start the college golf recruiting process, you may wonder about golf scholarships. Junior Golf Hub takes you through the ins and outs of college golf scholarships, including the best college programs and your most popular questions.
There are a variety of men’s and women’s golf scholarships available each year at plenty of colleges. No matter where you’re looking to play, it is always worth looking into them because college can be expensive. Golf scholarships are different everywhere, so you never know how they can help you play at the next level.
Types of Golf Scholarships
The NCAA has named college golf an equivalency sport, where the coach divides the number of allotted golf scholarships across their entire team, sometimes granting full scholarships. However, the latter is rare, especially at the Division 1 level. If you are lucky enough to come across a full golf scholarship, it would cover 100% of your tuition costs.
Another way to categorize scholarships is the head count method. This method, which is not applicable to golf, considers each player for a full-ride scholarship each year, and student-athletes have to follow certain guidelines each year in order to re-sign and get any athletic scholarship aid.
Another way to cover college tuition costs is through academic scholarships, grants and financial aid. These are the main players at the NCAA Division 3 level, though everyone can take advantage of these extra resources.
Men’s Golf Scholarships at Each Level
Men’s golf scholarships can look different whether you’re looking to play at a Division 1 or Division 3 college. Junior Golf Hub breaks down each division’s pros and cons.
Men’s Division 1 Golf Scholarships
Division 1 schools typically have large athletic programs, which means that their golf teams’ scholarships are potentially fully funded. While you can play at prestigious institutions that may also be known for their academic excellence, it will be highly competitive to get a golf scholarship, much less a full-ride.
Still, there are D1 scholarships available that can still make a difference. While it is difficult to get a full-ride to one of these colleges, the bigger schools tend to have more scholarship money to divide amongst their golf teams because the NCAA has declared golf an equivalency sport. However, that does not mean every student-athlete on the team will receive a partial scholarship once signed.
There are 289 Division 1 schools, and the NCAA has capped 4.5 scholarships per men’s teams; it is important to note that just because these schools have the opportunity to divide 4.5 scholarships among the roster, they may not have the funding for all those scholarships.
Men’s Division 1 Scholarship Pros:
- More funding for scholarships is available at the elite level
- Equivalency scholarships allow student-athletes to gain partial scholarships
- Opportunity to supplement golf scholarship with academic scholarships
Men’s Division 1 Scholarship Cons:
- Any form of scholarship at the D1 level is highly competitive, especially full-rides
Men’s Division 2 Golf Scholarships
The opportunities for D2 golf scholarships are largely similar to D1 schools, though your chances of receiving a scholarship at the D2 level are slightly higher.
There are 210 Division 2 golf programs, and each team has up to 3.6 scholarships to distribute pending fund availability. A perk for playing at the D2 level is how much easier it is to supplement your golf scholarship with other forms of aid, including academic scholarships. Another important note here is that all schools present “stacking” options, not just Division 2 colleges.
Men’s Division 2 Scholarship Pros:
- You have a better chance of receiving a golf scholarship to a D2 schools versus D1
- Equivalency scholarships allow student-athletes to gain partial scholarships
- Better opportunity to supplement golf scholarship with academic scholarships
Men’s Division 2 Scholarship Cons:
- Division 2 schools may not have as much funding, or as much scholarship money to offer, as Division 1 schools
Men’s Division 3 Golf Scholarships
While D3 golf scholarships are not technically available, these largely private universities are able to offer other forms of financial aid instead, including academic scholarships, merit-based scholarships and other options.
More than 75% of golfers playing at the Division 3 level receive some sort of financial aid, making D3 schools some of the more affordable options despite having lower levels of funding (and while still offering a competitive level of play). There are 304 golf teams at the Division 3 level.
Men’s Division 3 Scholarship Pros:
- Private institutions offer a myriad of ways to aid tuition costs
- The level of play is still highly competitive at the D3 level
Men’s Division 3 Scholarship Cons:
- There are no golf scholarships available for D3 schools
Women’s Golf Scholarships at Each Level
Golf scholarships for females don’t differ too much from the men’s. However, there is a myth that there are several unclaimed women’s golf scholarships. While it is true there are still plenty of girls’ golf scholarships for the taking, this myth is misleading because many of the spots at top-ranking schools are always filled; the unused scholarships are usually at smaller schools.
Women’s Division 1 Golf Scholarships
D1 golf scholarships for women still fall in the equivalency category, like the men’s. There are 249 Division 1 golf programs for women, and they can offer up to 6 scholarships per team.
While the odds sound better than men’s golf, it is important to remember there is more international competition among female golfers, as about one-fifth of the D1 golfers are from other countries.
Women’s Division 1 Scholarship Pros:
- More funding for scholarships, especially partial ones, is available at the elite level
- Opportunity to supplement aid with academic scholarships without counting against golf scholarship money
Women’s Division 1 Scholarship Cons:
- A scholarship offer, especially a full-ride, is still very competitive to obtain at this level
- International recruits make these particular scholarships more competitive
Women’s Division 2 Golf Scholarships
Division 2 scholarships for women are slightly more common than those at D1 schools. There are 154 D2 women’s golf programs, and there are up to 5.4 golf scholarships available per team. While the number of scholarships per team is lower than D1 colleges, the odds of getting a scholarship are higher at the D2 level because there are fewer golf programs.
Women’s Division 2 Scholarship Pros:
- A higher chance of receiving a golf scholarship, especially a partial one, to a D2 schools versus D1
- Better opportunity to supplement golf scholarship with academic scholarships
Women’s Division 2 Scholarship Cons:
- Division 2 schools may not have as much funding, or as much scholarship money to offer, as Division 1 schools
Women’s Division 3 Golf Scholarships
Similar to the men’s Division 3 level, there are no golf scholarships offered to women. However, there are plenty of opportunities to aggregate money towards your tuition through academic scholarships and merit-based scholarships, among other options.
Women’s Division 3 Scholarship Pros:
- Because most D3 schools are private, there are plenty of opportunities to aid tuition costs outside of golf scholarships
- The level of play is still highly competitive at the D3 level
Women’s Division 3 Scholarship Cons:
- There are no golf scholarships available for D3 schools
Other U.S. Golf Programs for Men and Women
While Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 golf programs make up most of the college playing opportunities, there are other divisions you can still compete in at the college level and earn golf scholarships.
NAIA Golf Scholarships
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) are typically smaller colleges, though their level of competition can compare to a Division 2 school. There are 93 men’s teams and 143 women’s teams, and both programs offer up to 5 scholarships per team.
The NAIA golf scholarships are also of the equivalency method, so there’s a much higher chance of receiving a partial scholarship. Since scholarship offers to larger schools are typically made around sophomore or junior year, NAIA golf programs offer a great opportunity to give golf scholarships to high school seniors who may have decided to start the college golf recruiting process later than their peers.
NJCAA Golf Scholarships
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) covers community, state and junior college athletics experiences and actually has its own division system. There are 212 men’s programs and 98 women’s programs, though up to 8 golf scholarships can be divided among these relatively smaller teams, some of which have fewer than 8 players.
If you’re looking for the most scholarship money and perhaps another year to prepare at a more competitive level before transferring, the NJCAA golf programs are a great place to start.
The Best Colleges for Golf Scholarships
Finding the best college for you based on golf scholarships depends on which level you’d like to pursue. College golf scholarships and recruiting are tightly intertwined, and it’s important to find the balance between both factors when deciding the right school for you.
There are the many competitive college levels listed above as well as more specific queries to look into, like Ivy League golf scholarships. Here are the “best” colleges for golf scholarships, though these results may be considered subjective depending on your priorities:
Best Men’s Division 1 Colleges:
- Auburn University
- Baylor University
- Clemson University
- Duke University
- Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
- Harvard University
- Louisiana State University (LSU)
- Ohio State University
- Stanford University
- Texas A&M University
- Texas Tech University
- University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of Florida (UF)
- University of Georgia
- University of Illinois
- University of Michigan
- University of North Carolina (UNC)
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Oregon
- University of Texas (UT)
- University of Virginia (UVA)
- Wake Forest University
Best Men’s Division 2 Colleges:
- Bellarmine University
- Bentley University
- California State University – Chico
- Colorado School of Mines
- Florida Southern College
- Hillsdale College
- Nova Southeastern University
- Regis University
- Rollins College
- University of California – San Diego (UCSD)
- Western Washington University
Best Men’s Division 3 Colleges:
- Amherst College
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Emory University
- New York University (NYU)
- Pomona-Pitzer College
- St. Johns
- Swarthmore College
- Tufts University
- Washington & Lee University
- Williams College
Best Women’s Division 1 Colleges:
- Baylor University
- Duke University
- Furman University
- Harvard University
- Northwestern University
- Princeton University
- Stanford University
- Texas A&M University
- University of Alabama
- University of Arizona
- University of Arkansas
- University of California – Berkeley
- University of California – Irvine
- University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Florida (UF)
- University of Georgia
- University of North Carolina (UNC)
- University of Oklahoma
- University of South Carolina
- University of Southern California
- University of Texas (UT)
- Yale University
Best Women’s Division 2 Colleges:
- Bellarmine University
- California State University – Chico
- California State University – Monterey Bay
- Florida Southern College
- Grand Valley State University
- Le Moyne College
- Nova Southeastern University
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Regis University
- Rollins College
- Truman State University
- Western Washington University
Best Women’s Division 3 Colleges:
- Amherst College
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Emory University
- New York University (NYU)
- Pomona-Pitzer College
- University of California – Santa Cruz
- University of the Redlands
- Vassar College
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Wellesley College
- Williams College
Junior Golf Hub Scholarship
The Hub Cup is Junior Golf Hub’s contribution to high school students seeking college golf scholarships (aside from all the app’s college-matching capabilities). The scholarship is awarded each year to the top five performing boys and girls. Members who meet the requirements are eligible to compete for up to $1,000 based on verified tournament scoring average and other minimal criteria, such as:
- Players must be between ages 14 and 18
- Compete in a minimum of five (5) verified 18-hole rounds
- Compete in one (1) verified, 2-round, 36-hole event
- Opt in to be searchable on the Junior Golf Hub app
- Must submit a written essay about a special golf-related experience or why golf is special to them (no word count limit)
- Must have completed a PDI Self-Assessment in the competition year
Golf Scholarship FAQs
To round out our guide to golf scholarships, here are some answers to frequently asked questions.
Can you get a scholarship for golf?
Yes, golf scholarships are available for all men’s and women’s divisions except for Division 3. However, it is rare to receive a full-ride scholarship since the NCAA counts golf as an equivalency sport, which allows coaches to divide a certain number of scholarships among their rosters.
Because NCAA Division 1 golf scholarships are so competitive, it is important to talk to golf coaches about their funding and decision-making process to get a feel for your chance to receive a scholarship.
How many golf scholarships are there?
There are over 2,000 men’s golf scholarships and over 2,100 women’s golf scholarships available throughout NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 programs.
What does it take to get a golf scholarship?
To get a golf scholarship in the U.S.A., it’s important to start the college recruiting process early in high school. You also need to register for the NCAA Eligibility Center in order to be considered for recruitment and scholarships.
Then, by maintaining certain academic standards, your player profile and your tournament history, you can connect with golf programs that align with your interests and skill level and discuss scholarships from there. The Junior Golf Hub app helps streamline the player profile and tournament tracking process so you can connect with the golf coaches most likely looking for a player like you.
How many women’s golf scholarships go unused?
Unclaimed women’s golf scholarships tend to be at smaller universities. Girls’ golf scholarships at Division 1 and other well-known schools are still very competitive, but there is an opportunity to receive an unused golf scholarship from a school located in unpopulated areas and whose coaches aren’t usually traveling to recruit.
Golf scholarships factor into the decision around which golf program is right for you. If your goal is to play at one of the top-ranked universities in the United States, you will face much competition around golf scholarships. However, there are other divisions and other scholarships and grants – related and unrelated to golf – that you can pursue to cover more tuition costs.