Athletic recruitment intensity
Schools where varsity sports do a disproportionate share of the work attracting and retaining undergraduate enrollment — sourced from the U.S. Department of Education’s Equity in Athletics (EADA) survey, joined to IPEDS fragility scores.
What EADA counts: a student who participated in at least one intercollegiate (varsity) competition during the academic year. Excludes redshirts, JV / developmental rosters, and club sports — actual athletic-recruit footprint can be substantially larger. Athletic-aid totals are intentionally not shown: at D3 schools they read $0 because institutional merit aid functioning as recruiting subsidy isn’t classified as athletic aid. Recruiting expense is the universal proxy that works across all divisions.
Highest % athletes (current)Largest increase (the athletic ratchet)Highest estimated % (peer-anchored)
Top 50 schools by peer-anchored estimated athlete share. EADA undercounts schools running deep developmental / JV / club recruiting pools because varsity-only is the official count; we estimate the true footprint by scaling the school's coach count by peer median athletes-per-coach. NCF, for example, reads 18% in EADA but 76% by peer estimate — the same coaching staff a peer would carry for ~640 athletes, not 153.
| # | Institution | % reported | % est. | Change | Athletes | UG | Recruit $ | Frag. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hope International UniversityCA NAIA-I | 63.0% | 100.0% 1.6× reported | +44.9 pts since '12 | 315 | 500 | $45K $143/athlete | 78 |
| 2 | Huntington UniversityIN NAIA-I | 34.6% | 100.0% 2.9× reported | +15.4 pts since '12 | 330 | 954 | $14K $42/athlete | 97 |
| 3 | Ottawa University-OttawaKS NAIA-I | 100.0% | 100.0% | +43.1 pts since '12 | 858 | 811 | $54K $62/athlete | 96 |
| 4 | Brescia UniversityKY NAIA-I | 63.7% | 100.0% 1.6× reported | +37.4 pts since '12 | 304 | 477 | $0 $0/athlete | 98 |
| 5 | Concordia University Ann ArborMI NAIA-II | 65.4% | 100.0% 1.5× reported | +18.7 pts since '12 | 510 | 780 | $57K $112/athlete | — |
| 6 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. LouisMO NAIA-I | 87.2% | 100.0% | +79.1 pts since '12 | 292 | 335 | $48K $163/athlete | 79 |
| 7 | St. Andrews UniversityNC NAIA-II | 57.9% | 100.0% 1.7× reported | -2.5 pts since '12 | 322 | 556 | $45K $140/athlete | 80 |
| 8 | Bushnell UniversityOR NAIA-II | 68.2% | 100.0% | +28.6 pts since '12 | 313 | 459 | $28K $88/athlete | 3 |
| 9 | Corban UniversityOR NAIA-II | 58.4% | 100.0% 1.7× reported | +34.8 pts since '12 | 355 | 608 | $16K $44/athlete | 71 |
| 10 | Ripon CollegeWI DIII w/ FB | 56.3% | 100.0% 1.8× reported | +24.1 pts since '12 | 383 | 680 | $44K $114/athlete | 76 |
| 11 | Milligan UniversityTN NAIA-II | 72.2% | 100.0% | +37.6 pts since '17 | 586 | 812 | $120K $205/athlete | 40 |
| 12 | Tabor CollegeKS NAIA-I | 95.3% | 98.7% | +27.5 pts since '12 | 467 | 490 | $87K $186/athlete | 46 |
| 13 | Briar Cliff UniversityIA NAIA-II | 70.3% | 97.3% | +19.0 pts since '12 | 395 | 562 | $41K $103/athlete | 100 |
| 14 | Ottawa University-SurpriseAZ NAIA-I | 100.0% | 94.8% | +100.0 pts new program | 777 | 777 | $68K $88/athlete | — |
| 15 | Martin Luther CollegeMN DIII w/ FB | 42.1% | 92.7% 2.2× reported | +13.7 pts since '12 | 253 | 601 | $0 $0/athlete | 38 |
| 16 | Cleary UniversityMI NAIA-I | 57.2% | 91.2% 1.6× reported | +52.3 pts since '12 | 309 | 540 | $9K $29/athlete | 79 |
| 17 | Bethel College-North NewtonKS NAIA-II | 83.9% | 91.1% | +39.6 pts since '12 | 412 | 491 | $37K $89/athlete | 46 |
| 18 | Loras CollegeIA DIII w/ FB | 56.4% | 88.6% 1.6× reported | +16.6 pts since '12 | 598 | 1,060 | $94K $157/athlete | 100 |
| 19 | Finlandia UniversityMI DIII w/ FB | 55.2% | 88.2% 1.6× reported | +28.7 pts since '12 | 185 | 335 | $48K $260/athlete | — |
| 20 | Olivet CollegeMI DIII w/ FB | 69.7% | 86.8% | +25.7 pts since '12 | 598 | 858 | $16K $28/athlete | 88 |
| 21 | Indiana Institute of TechnologyIN NAIA-I | 75.6% | 83.9% | +58.5 pts since '12 | 1,057 | 1,398 | $69K $65/athlete | 28 |
| 22 | Wisconsin Lutheran CollegeWI DIII w/ FB | 49.2% | 82.8% 1.7× reported | +16.8 pts since '12 | 457 | 929 | $65K $141/athlete | 65 |
| 23 | University of Saint MaryKS NAIA-II | 83.9% | 82.0% | +47.3 pts since '12 | 691 | 824 | $50K $73/athlete | 41 |
| 24 | Southwestern CollegeKS NAIA-II | 72.9% | 81.7% | +26.7 pts since '12 | 443 | 608 | $36K $81/athlete | 100 |
| 25 | Judson UniversityIL NAIA-I | 74.7% | 81.1% | +37.0 pts since '12 | 513 | 687 | $5K $9/athlete | 72 |
| 26 | Midland UniversityNE NAIA-II | 84.0% | 81.1% | +30.5 pts since '12 | 967 | 1,151 | $91K $94/athlete | 98 |
| 27 | Truett McConnell UniversityGA NAIA-I | 60.3% | 80.4% | +31.3 pts since '12 | 423 | 702 | $51K $121/athlete | 75 |
| 28 | Bethany Lutheran CollegeMN DIII | 41.9% | 78.9% 1.9× reported | +8.0 pts since '12 | 275 | 656 | $29K $104/athlete | 63 |
| 29 | Dickinson State UniversityND NAIA-I | 47.4% | 78.3% 1.7× reported | +22.3 pts since '12 | 431 | 910 | $88K $204/athlete | 39 |
| 30 | Kentucky Christian UniversityKY NAIA-I | 91.7% | 78.2% | +58.0 pts since '12 | 386 | 421 | $76K $198/athlete | 68 |
| 31 | Emmaus Bible CollegeIA NCCAA Division II | 31.8% | 78.2% 2.5× reported | +10.0 pts since '17 | 64 | 201 | $18K $289/athlete | 38 |
| 32 | Southwestern Christian UniversityOK NAIA-I | 54.5% | 78.1% | +19.7 pts since '12 | 183 | 336 | $13K $71/athlete | 80 |
| 33 | Pitzer CollegeCA DIII w/ FB | 45.4% | 77.8% 1.7× reported | +45.4 pts new program | 542 | 1,195 | $77K $142/athlete | 5 |
| 34 | Central Baptist CollegeAR NAIA-I | 43.0% | 77.0% 1.8× reported | +17.6 pts since '12 | 193 | 449 | $12K $61/athlete | 61 |
| 35 | New College of FloridaFL NAIA-I | 18.4% | 76.4% 4.2× reported | +18.4 pts new program | 153 | 833 | $13K $84/athlete | 78 |
| 36 | Madonna UniversityMI NAIA-I | 51.4% | 75.9% | +40.4 pts since '12 | 683 | 1,329 | $12K $18/athlete | 94 |
| 37 | Montreat CollegeNC NAIA-I | 69.5% | 75.7% | +22.8 pts since '12 | 485 | 698 | $0 $0/athlete | 63 |
| 38 | Barton CollegeNC DII w/ FB | 77.2% | 75.5% | +52.0 pts since '12 | 709 | 918 | $39K $55/athlete | 74 |
| 39 | Oakland City UniversityIN NAIA-I | 89.0% | 75.5% | +57.9 pts since '12 | 437 | 491 | $20K $45/athlete | 100 |
| 40 | Coker UniversitySC DII | 54.5% | 73.6% | +25.7 pts since '12 | 441 | 809 | $6K $13/athlete | 61 |
| 41 | Nichols CollegeMA DIII w/ FB | 52.0% | 73.4% | +20.9 pts since '12 | 557 | 1,072 | $66K $118/athlete | 100 |
| 42 | McKendree UniversityIL DII w/ FB | 64.7% | 73.4% | +33.6 pts since '12 | 1,055 | 1,631 | $198K $188/athlete | 56 |
| 43 | Franklin Pierce UniversityNH DII w/ FB | 69.2% | 73.1% | +38.5 pts since '12 | 583 | 843 | $54K $92/athlete | 65 |
| 44 | Tusculum UniversityTN DII w/ FB | 76.0% | 71.6% | +55.0 pts since '12 | 559 | 736 | $80K $144/athlete | 85 |
| 45 | Sterling CollegeKS NAIA-II | 77.9% | 71.2% | +16.9 pts since '12 | 380 | 488 | $11K $28/athlete | 55 |
| 46 | Quincy UniversityIL DII w/ FB | 75.1% | 71.0% | +40.5 pts since '12 | 743 | 989 | $97K $131/athlete | 100 |
| 47 | Gallaudet UniversityDC DIII w/ FB | 30.7% | 71.0% 2.3× reported | +6.7 pts since '12 | 235 | 766 | $27K $113/athlete | 36 |
| 48 | Thomas More UniversityKY DII w/ FB | 47.8% | 70.8% | +19.7 pts since '12 | 575 | 1,204 | $46K $80/athlete | 100 |
| 49 | Crown CollegeMN DIII w/ FB | 46.6% | 70.7% 1.5× reported | +24.2 pts since '12 | 290 | 622 | $18K $61/athlete | 93 |
| 50 | Erskine CollegeSC DII w/ FB | 90.8% | 70.7% | +38.9 pts since '12 | 690 | 760 | $0 $0/athlete | 62 |