Our Division II StudentsDivision II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their careers, for their causes and on their terms. Currently more than 122,000 student-athletes benefit from participating in Division II athletics. Student-athletes generally constitute a high percentage of the student body at Division II schools. About 1 in 10 students are athletes.

Even more, Division II offers exceptional teacher-student ratios — the median undergraduate enrollment at Division II schools is about 2,500 — that provide student-athletes with a quality education in the academic curriculum of their choice. Division II also structures its eligibility requirements to facilitate student-athletes earning their degrees, which is reinforced by the fact that Division II student-athletes consistently graduate at rates several percentage points higher than their student body counterparts.

Division II colleges and universities accommodate more first-generation students than any other division. Among a recent sample of college athletes, 20% of Division II student-athletes reported first-generation status.

Division II student-athletes have an important voice in how their experience is structured. Every Division II school offers a representative Student-Athlete Advisory Committee that provides input into policymaking at the institution. Each Division II conference also has a SAAC composed of campus SAAC representatives. The division itself features a national SAAC that is directly integrated within the Division II governance structure and has a vote on all divisional proposals at the NCAA Convention.