Of the more than 1,100 NCAA member universities and colleges, about 300 classify their athletics programs in Division II.

Division II is all about balance. Students participate in highly competitive athletics, have the best access ratio to NCAA championships of any division and can earn athletics scholarships, but their college experience includes so much more than sports participation. The balanced approach in athletics, academics and community engagement allows Division II student-athletes to focus on their academic pursuits, internships, studies abroad and all that interests them.

Among the most distinguishing features in Division II is its athletics scholarship model, which awards partial scholarships that students combine with academic or need-based grants to construct their financial aid package. Division II believes it is important to acknowledge and financially reward students’ athletics abilities. This partial scholarship model keeps athletics budgets more closely proportioned with the total institutional budget.

As a way to promote the division to various audiences and provide a basic understanding of how Division II operates, the national office has developed three new eLearning modules. These modules are linked below and can be used as a tool to better understand the division's philosophy and what makes the Division II experience so unique. Other resources include the "What Division II Can Do for You" brochure, PowerPoint presentation and a series of quick-hit "tool cards". These resources and more can be found here.

The Division II Difference

Life in the Balance

Make It Yours