The NCAA Division 2 is the smallest of the three NCAA Divisions. Division 2 colleges, like Division 1 schools, offer athletic scholarships. However, they do not offer as many scholarships in many sports and are not required to sponsor as many varsity teams as D1 programs. They also tend to offer more partial scholarships. However, since they aren’t required to offer headcount scholarships, you will often find D2 colleges actually sponsor more varsity teams than required.
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The competition at NCAA D2 colleges is generally considered lower than D1 schools. However, unlike D1 teams, D2 teams can offer tryouts to prospective athletes. The two divisions also have different academic requirements. But students in both divisions must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
What Kind of Colleges are D2
Of the 301 NCAA D2 (2018) colleges, 60 qualify as 50-50 colleges, these are US schools where at least 50% of the students graduate and have at least a 50% acceptance rate. This is an increase from the 40 from 2013. Only 18 of the 26 D2 athletic conferences have 50-50 schools and 9 of those have only 2 or fewer. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference had the most with 12, followed by the Northeast 10 Conference with 9, and the Great Lakes Valley Conference and Pacific West Conference with 5 each.
There are 25 pubic D2 50-50 colleges and 35 private ones. Pennsylvania has the most 50-50 D2 Colleges (14), followed by California with 8 and Missouri with 5. They range in size from under 600 full-time undergraduates to over 21,000. You’ll find the lowest average ACT at 20 and the highest at 30. For the SAT, the averages were 580 and 1380 respectively.
Pay Attention to College Costs
Given that the chances of full-ride scholarships aren’t great, you’ll want to pay attention to test scores for more than just NCAA requirements. Total cost of attendance (out-of-state for public) starts at almost $24,000. Three of the colleges are over $60,000. This means you need to have a way to make up the difference that isn’t covered by any athletic scholarships. And you should definitely have a plan in place should you stop playing. The higher your test scores, the more likely you are to qualify for merit aid.
The following table lists the D2 50-50 schools by conference as listed by the NCAA. Schools may compete in different conferences depending on the sport. As usual, the four-year graduation rate is used for private schools and the five-year rate is used for public schools. You can get a complete list of colleges in the DIY College Rankings College Search Spreadsheet.
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50-50 NCAA D2 Colleges with Graduation Rates
| Name | Type | State | NCAA Conference | Full-time Under-grads | 4/5 yr Grad Rate | Total price for in-state students 2017-18 | Total price for out-of-state students 2017-18 | % Freshman Receiving Pell Grants (16-17) | Avg Net Price After Gift Aid (2016-2017) |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Private | AR | Great American Conference | 1,499 | 59 | $37,600 | $37,600 | 33 | $17,934 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Private | CA | Pacific West Conference | 5,047 | 51 | $52,396 | $52,396 | 30 | $28,784 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | Public | CA | California Collegiate Athletic Association | 21,644 | 53 | $26,057 | $37,937 | 44 | $12,634 |
| California State University-Chico | Public | CA | California Collegiate Athletic Association | 15,373 | 60 | $24,420 | $36,300 | 44 | $14,185 |
| Concordia University-Irvine | Private | CA | Pacific West Conference | 1,649 | 49 | $50,180 | $50,180 | 29 | $25,094 |
| Dominican University of California | Private | CA | Pacific West Conference | 1,133 | 57 | $64,436 | $64,436 | 29 | $34,694 |
| Fresno Pacific University | Private | CA | Pacific West Conference | 2,355 | 49 | $43,115 | $43,115 | 52 | $14,235 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | Private | CA | Pacific West Conference | 2,573 | 62 | $49,844 | $49,844 | 22 | $31,349 |
| Sonoma State University | Public | CA | California Collegiate Athletic Association | 7,887 | 56 | $26,034 | $37,914 | 33 | $16,807 |
| Colorado School of Mines | Public | CO | Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference | 4,596 | 73 | $33,648 | $52,698 | 11 | $25,472 |
| Regis University | Private | CO | Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference | 2,369 | 50 | $51,202 | $51,202 | 28 | $25,615 |
| Eckerd College | Private | FL | Sunshine State Conference | 1,915 | 61 | $59,200 | $59,200 | 20 | $33,918 |
| Florida Southern College | Private | FL | Sunshine State Conference | 2,354 | 52 | $49,900 | $49,900 | 27 | $24,888 |
| Rollins College | Private | FL | Sunshine State Conference | 2,455 | 64 | $67,775 | $67,775 | 22 | $35,522 |
| Georgia College and State University | Public | GA | Peach Belt Conference | 5,448 | 58 | $28,120 | $46,834 | 19 | $20,055 |
| Bellarmine University | Private | KY | Great Lakes Valley Conference | 2,417 | 53 | $59,306 | $59,306 | 34 | $24,711 |
| Assumption College | Private | MA | Northeast-10 Conference | 1,938 | 72 | $54,594 | $54,594 | 18 | $29,024 |
| Merrimack College | Private | MA | Northeast-10 Conference | 3,323 | 68 | $57,865 | $57,865 | 20 | $33,202 |
| Stonehill College | Private | MA | Northeast-10 Conference | 2,473 | 76 | $59,560 | $59,560 | 14 | $33,583 |
| Grand Valley State University | Public | MI | Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 19,305 | 60 | $24,244 | $29,314 | 29 | $16,175 |
| Michigan Technological University | Public | MI | Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 5,478 | 61 | $29,100 | $46,344 | 21 | $17,139 |
| University of Minnesota-Crookston | Public | MN | Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference | 1,190 | 52 | $23,866 | $23,866 | 34 | $13,962 |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | Public | MN | Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference | 8,904 | 56 | $24,424 | $29,542 | 23 | $16,381 |
| Maryville University of Saint Louis | Private | MO | Great Lakes Valley Conference | 2,387 | 57 | $46,076 | $46,076 | 27 | $30,921 |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology | Public | MO | Great Lakes Valley Conference | 6,158 | 54 | $22,012 | $38,684 | 25 | $14,133 |
| Rockhurst University | Private | MO | Great Lakes Valley Conference | 1,435 | 62 | $51,631 | $51,631 | 22 | $23,291 |
| Truman State University | Public | MO | Great Lakes Valley Conference | 5,131 | 70 | $21,094 | $27,878 | 22 | $12,512 |
| University of Central Missouri | Public | MO | Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 7,743 | 49 | $19,564 | $26,194 | 39 | $12,711 |
| University of Nebraska at Kearney | Public | NE | Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 4,068 | 51 | $22,586 | $28,486 | 35 | $15,909 |
| Saint Anselm College | Private | NH | Northeast-10 Conference | 1,925 | 69 | $56,846 | $56,846 | 16 | $31,492 |
| Southern New Hampshire University | Private | NH | Northeast-10 Conference | 19,785 | 49 | $50,436 | $50,436 | 46 | $39,638 |
| Adelphi University | Private | NY | Northeast-10 Conference | 4,897 | 57 | $56,358 | $56,358 | 34 | $27,925 |
| Le Moyne College | Private | NY | Northeast-10 Conference | 2,398 | 58 | $49,995 | $49,995 | 33 | $24,146 |
| The College of Saint Rose | Private | NY | Northeast-10 Conference | 2,429 | 49 | $47,268 | $47,268 | 46 | $22,377 |
| Ashland University | Private | OH | Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 3,369 | 50 | $33,954 | $33,954 | 38 | $20,201 |
| Cedarville University | Private | OH | Great Midwest Athletic Conference | 3,111 | 59 | $39,194 | $39,194 | 22 | $23,520 |
| The University of Findlay | Private | OH | Great Midwest Athletic Conference | 2,493 | 52 | $45,575 | $45,575 | 33 | $22,430 |
| Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 7,893 | 59 | $24,270 | $35,750 | 35 | $16,501 |
| California University of Pennsylvania | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 4,557 | 51 | $26,356 | $30,842 | 47 | $17,755 |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 5,567 | 55 | $22,960 | $34,640 | 43 | $15,402 |
| Holy Family University | Private | PA | Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference | 1,633 | 51 | $46,850 | $46,850 | 43 | $15,723 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 9,540 | 51 | $27,309 | $32,461 | 44 | $19,247 |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 7,040 | 52 | $27,031 | $31,019 | 33 | $20,278 |
| Mansfield University of Pennsylvania | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 1,662 | 50 | $28,722 | $38,414 | 47 | $19,653 |
| Mercyhurst University | Private | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 2,378 | 60 | $51,791 | $51,791 | 29 | $19,726 |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 5,677 | 58 | $28,867 | $38,569 | 26 | $19,731 |
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 5,184 | 54 | $28,200 | $36,300 | 35 | $19,448 |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 7,152 | 66 | $24,377 | $28,365 | 34 | $17,557 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 2,700 | 51 | $28,689 | $39,933 | 30 | $19,144 |
| University of the Sciences | Private | PA | Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference | 1,251 | 63 | $60,082 | $60,082 | 28 | $33,444 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | Public | PA | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 13,006 | 67 | $26,773 | $38,253 | 24 | $19,348 |
| Converse College | Private | SC | Conference Carolinas | 863 | 51 | $34,190 | $34,190 | 47 | $19,245 |
| Erskine College | Private | SC | Conference Carolinas | 569 | 59 | $51,360 | $51,360 | 44 | $34,550 |
| Southern Wesleyan University | Private | SC | Conference Carolinas | 816 | 50 | $36,860 | $36,860 | 49 | $16,008 |
| Augustana University | Private | SD | Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference | 1,679 | 54 | $45,458 | $45,458 | 21 | $18,937 |
| Union University | Private | TN | Gulf South Conference | 1,592 | 59 | $51,790 | $51,790 | 27 | $25,162 |
| Saint Edward’s University | Private | TX | Heartland Conference | 3,547 | 52 | $58,700 | $58,700 | 39 | $25,669 |
| Saint Michael’s College | Private | VT | Northeast-10 Conference | 1,774 | 73 | $57,560 | $57,560 | 16 | $31,997 |
| Seattle Pacific University | Private | WA | Great Northwest Athletic Conference | 2,784 | 56 | $56,485 | $56,485 | 25 | $31,078 |
| Western Washington University | Public | WA | Great Northwest Athletic Conference | 13,771 | 65 | $23,555 | $38,067 | 22 | $16,117 |
