DIII Programs
How many DIII programs are there?
There are 415 DIII men’s soccer programs and 441 DIII women’s soccer programs. Men’s and women’s soccer programs in DIII are permitted 0 athletic scholarships. There are some fantastic academic institutions that compete at the DIII level and many more that offer generous academic and financial aid packages that can be great options for many players.
What makes DIII different than DI and DII?
There are no athletic scholarships at the DIII level. However, there are some great academic institutions and the top III programs can often compete well with many DI and DII programs. The difference is even more heavily in the way DIII programs weigh academics over athletics and will restrict the amount of time in the Fall season and even more so in the offseason what athletic hours those student-athletes are permitted to engage in. This might seem restricting in soccer development but can be a great balance for many in wanting to pursing academic and outside rigors more aggressively. You will still see many DI caliber players playing at top academic and top DIII programs but you will also note that the level of the lower DIII programs will look wide in gap from the top DIII to the lower DIII programs in terms of quality of play and player commitment.
Things to consider:
Is it possible for me to balance both the athletics and academics at this institution?
Will I play or should I go somewhere were I can feature more prominently?
Does this team culture suit me?
Does this particular college set me up for post-college success?
Helpful Link:
Top Drawer Soccer DIII Men’s College Programs Listed by Conference
Top Drawer Soccer DIII Women’s College Programs Listed by Conference