Guide · Divisions
D1 vs D2 vs D3 vs NAIA vs NJCAA track and field
College track and field in the US has five levels. They differ in athletic scholarships, eligibility rules and how fast the teams are, but they overlap far more than most athletes think. Here is what each means, with real numbers from 1,376 college programs.
See which programs in each division you’d fit →
The five divisions at a glance
- NCAA Division I · 358 programs
- Athletic scholarships, full or partial; how much a team can give depends on its school’s budget. The biggest programs, the most travel and the most time in the sport. Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center; at least a 2.3 GPA in 16 core high school courses to compete as a freshman.
- NCAA Division II · 286 programs
- Athletic scholarships, usually partial: a team splits its money across many athletes, often with academic aid on top. Strong teams at smaller and mid-sized universities. NCAA Eligibility Center; at least a 2.2 core GPA.
- NCAA Division III · 398 programs
- No athletic scholarships. Aid is academic or need-based, which can be generous at private colleges. School comes first: shorter seasons. No NCAA eligibility certificate: if the college admits you, you can compete.
- NAIA · 212 programs
- A separate association from the NCAA, mostly small private colleges. Athletic scholarships, usually partial, often combined with academic aid. Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center.
- NJCAA junior colleges · 122 programs
- 2-year colleges. Each picks its NJCAA division: Division I can give up to full scholarships, Division II tuition, fees and books, Division III none. Most athletes compete two seasons, earn credits and transfer to an NCAA or NAIA school. Usually cheaper.
How fast is the typical team?
For each team we take its 3rd-best mark in the event, a good guide to how fast you need to be to score for that team, and show the middle team in each division. Marks are the season bests of each team’s athletes on TFRRS, 2025 and 2026 seasons.
| Event | D1 | D2 | D3 | NAIA | NJCAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100m | 10.61 | 10.83 | 11.11 | 11.02 | 11.12 |
| 400m | 48.24 | 49.49 | 51.42 | 51.01 | 51.68 |
| 800m | 1:52.47 | 1:56.89 | 1:59.73 | 1:59.22 | 2:02.42 |
| 1500m | 3:51.46 | 4:03.04 | 4:09.69 | 4:07.49 | 4:15.08 |
| 5000m | 14:38.79 | 15:24.98 | 15:43.26 | 15:43.95 | 16:04.28 |
| Long jump | 7.02m (23′ 0½″) | 6.61m (21′ 8¼″) | 6.32m (20′ 8¾″) | 6.30m (20′ 8″) | 6.21m (20′ 4½″) |
| Shot put | 15.19m (49′ 10″) | 13.77m (45′ 2¼″) | 12.06m (39′ 6¾″) | 12.53m (41′ 1¼″) | 11.43m (37′ 6″) |
| Event | D1 | D2 | D3 | NAIA | NJCAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100m | 11.98 | 12.47 | 13.04 | 12.73 | 13.02 |
| 400m | 56.44 | 59.85 | 1:02.47 | 1:02.02 | 1:02.91 |
| 800m | 2:13.26 | 2:22.69 | 2:28.44 | 2:29.15 | 2:36.91 |
| 1500m | 4:33.84 | 4:57.49 | 5:05.66 | 5:09.93 | 5:24.05 |
| 5000m | 17:17.00 | 18:40.80 | 18:57.46 | 19:10.99 | 19:42.97 |
| Long jump | 5.68m (18′ 7½″) | 5.19m (17′ 0¼″) | 4.89m (16′ 0½″) | 5.00m (16′ 4¾″) | 4.75m (15′ 7″) |
| Shot put | 12.53m (41′ 1¼″) | 11.09m (36′ 4½″) | 9.94m (32′ 7¼″) | 10.39m (34′ 1″) | 9.24m (30′ 3¾″) |
Middle (median) team among teams with at least 3 marks in the event. Field events in meters, feet in brackets.
The divisions overlap
Division I is faster on average, but the levels overlap a lot. In the men’s 1500m, 14% of Division I teams have a slower 3rd-best mark than the typical Division II team. The fastest Division III team is ahead of 80% of Division I teams. So the right question is not “Am I a D1 athlete?” but “On which teams would I be in the faster half?”
Athletic scholarships in track: what to expect
- Full athletic scholarships in track and field are rare and go mostly to athletes who would score at conference or national level right away.
- Most college track athletes receive partial athletic aid, academic scholarships, need-based aid, or a mix. At Division III all aid is academic or need-based.
- Your grades matter as much as your marks: academic aid can add as much as athletic aid, and coaches value athletes who will be eligible.
- Ask each coach directly what aid they could offer you. Amounts vary a lot even within a division.
How to choose
- Start from where you’d fit: teams where you’d be in the faster half train with athletes at your level, and you can score.
- Then filter by what matters to you: yearly cost, region or state, the major you want, your grades.
- Write to the coaches of a balanced list: mostly Targets, a couple of Reaches, a couple of Safeties.