Guide
What are the NCAA’s academic eligibility requirements for high school basketball players?
To compete at an NCAA Division I or II school, your child must complete a set number of core courses in specific subjects, earn a minimum core-course GPA calculated on a 4.0 scale, and — as of January 2023 — no standardized test score is required by the NCAA for initial eligibility.
Updated Sep 19, 2026
Division I core courses: 16 required
Division I requires 16 NCAA-approved core courses. The subject breakdown is: 4 years of English, 3 years of math, 2 years of science, 1 extra year in English, math, or science, 2 years of social science, and 4 years of other academic courses. Not every high school course qualifies. Your child should check their specific high school's list of NCAA-approved core courses at the Eligibility Center's website.
Division II core courses: 16 required, different mix
Division II also requires 16 core courses, but the subject mix differs from Division I. The breakdown is: 3 years of English, 2 years of math, 2 years of science, 3 extra years in English, math, or science, 2 years of social science, and 4 years of other academic courses. Again, only NCAA-approved courses count.
The core-course GPA: how it is calculated
The Eligibility Center calculates a core-course GPA using only the grades earned in NCAA-approved core courses — not your child's overall high school GPA. Only the best grades from approved courses in required subject areas are used. The GPA is calculated on a 4.0 scale, using quality points: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1. The Eligibility Center does not use plus or minus grades. A B+, B, and B− are each worth 3 quality points. Weighted courses may improve the core-course GPA, but the sources do not specify a minimum GPA number that applies to all students — the NCAA Eligibility Center determines your child's status individually after graduation.
The 10-of-16 rule for Division I
For Division I, 10 of the 16 required core-course credits must be completed before the start of your child's seventh semester (the beginning of senior year). Of those 10, at least 7 must be in English, math, or science. This is a hard deadline — courses taken in the senior year cannot count toward this portion of the requirement.
Test scores: no longer required by the NCAA
In January 2023, NCAA Divisions I and II adopted legislation removing standardized test scores from initial-eligibility requirements. Your child does not need an SAT or ACT score to be certified as eligible by the NCAA. However, individual colleges may still require test scores for their own admissions process or for scholarship decisions. Check directly with each school your child is considering.
Division III: different rules
Division III schools set their own academic standards on campus. The NCAA Eligibility Center does not certify Division III domestic student-athletes academically. If your child is targeting Division III, contact each school directly about its academic requirements. The Eligibility Center is involved for Division III only to certify amateur status for international student-athletes.
What this page is based on
Every rule stated above was read from one of these documents, not from memory. Open them and check us.
- Division I and II Core-Course GPA Worksheet
NCAA · the body that sets the rule · read Sep 19, 2026
- Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete 2026-27
NCAA · the body that sets the rule · read Sep 19, 2026
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What grades does a high-school basketball player need to get recruited by a NESCAC school?
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