Just 3.3 percent of high school seniors playing men's basketball will have roster positions on NCAA teams as freshmen—with or without scholarships, according to NCAA data. For women, the figure is 3.7 percent.The odds are almost as slim in men's soccer, football, and baseball. The chance of getting an athletic scholarship is even smaller, even for students whose parents can devote the hundreds of hours--and thousands of dollars--that high-level youth sports often require.
Put another way, the odds of landing a college scholarship in many major sports are lower than the chances of being admitted to Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Stanford.
Overall, colleges and universities awarded more than $3 billion in athletic scholarships in 2013, but very few of those were full rides. In most sports, coaches are allowed to divvy up scholarships. In 2013, the average amount of money awarded to NCAA Division 1 athletes was $13,821 for men and $14,660 for women. Other divisions offer less, and Division 3 schools offer no athletic scholarships at all.
"There's this great myth about how many scholarships there are out there," said Earhart.
There's also a lot of pressure on those who do get athletic scholarships. Long practice hours, diminished fan attendance, and life on a different schedule from most students can take their toll on young athletes—as can the physical intensity of the sport itself.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101980451
College athletes as a percentage of high school athletes:
Men's soccer 9%
Women's soccer 9.5%
Full rides are almost mythical
Put another way, the odds of landing a college scholarship in many major sports are lower than the chances of being admitted to Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Stanford.
Overall, colleges and universities awarded more than $3 billion in athletic scholarships in 2013, but very few of those were full rides. In most sports, coaches are allowed to divvy up scholarships. In 2013, the average amount of money awarded to NCAA Division 1 athletes was $13,821 for men and $14,660 for women. Other divisions offer less, and Division 3 schools offer no athletic scholarships at all.
"There's this great myth about how many scholarships there are out there," said Earhart.
There's also a lot of pressure on those who do get athletic scholarships. Long practice hours, diminished fan attendance, and life on a different schedule from most students can take their toll on young athletes—as can the physical intensity of the sport itself.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101980451
College athletes as a percentage of high school athletes:
Men's soccer 9%
Women's soccer 9.5%
Full rides are almost mythical
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