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 point-change in athlete % from AY 2012-13 to AY 2024-25. A rising ratio at a tuition-dependent private is the canonical late-stage pattern — adding sports or expanding rosters to fill seats as enrollment pressure mounts. Schools that closed before AY 2024-25 reporting (Birmingham-Southern, Wells) don't appear here because they have no current snapshot.
| # | Institution | % reported | % est. | Change | Athletes | UG | Recruit $ | Frag. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Fort LauderdaleFL NCCAA Division I | 86.2% | 57.7% | +86.2 pts new program | 244 | 283 | $0 $0/athlete | 46 |
| 2 | Life UniversityGA NAIA-I | 87.9% | 41.8% | +85.5 pts since '08 | 691 | 786 | $53K $76/athlete | 86 |
| 3 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. LouisMO NAIA-I | 87.2% | 100.0% | +82.0 pts since '06 | 292 | 335 | $48K $163/athlete | 76 |
| 4 | University of the SouthwestNM NAIA-I | 85.7% | 29.0% | +81.6 pts since '05 | 275 | 321 | $11K $41/athlete | 18 |
| 5 | Virginia University of LynchburgVA Other | 78.3% | 68.3% | +78.3 pts new program | 180 | 230 | $4K $22/athlete | 0 |
| 6 | Oakland City UniversityIN NAIA-I | 89.0% | 75.5% | +77.5 pts since '05 | 437 | 491 | $20K $45/athlete | 100 |
| 7 | Kentucky Christian UniversityKY NAIA-I | 91.7% | 78.2% | +75.7 pts since '05 | 386 | 421 | $76K $198/athlete | 61 |
| 8 | Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and SciencesMO NAIA-I | 73.9% | 38.7% | +73.2 pts since '05 | 766 | 1,037 | $16K $21/athlete | 45 |
| 9 | Emmanuel CollegeGA DII | 89.8% | 69.6% | +70.7 pts since '05 | 683 | 761 | $84K $123/athlete | 86 |
| 10 | Mount Marty UniversitySD NAIA-II | 73.9% | 39.9% | +68.6 pts since '05 | 459 | 621 | $37K $81/athlete | 47 |
| 11 | Franklin Pierce UniversityNH DII w/ FB | 69.2% | 73.1% | +68.2 pts since '05 | 583 | 843 | $54K $92/athlete | 65 |
| 12 | William Jewell CollegeMO DII w/ FB | 65.5% | 57.4% | +64.2 pts since '05 | 576 | 879 | $12K $21/athlete | 67 |
| 13 | Graceland University-LamoniIA NAIA-II | 64.1% | 43.4% | +63.9 pts since '05 | 496 | 774 | $63K $128/athlete | 100 |
| 14 | Marian University-AncillaIN NJCAA-II | 63.8% | 59.1% | +63.8 pts new program | 143 | 224 | $0 $0/athlete | — |
| 15 | Erskine CollegeSC DII w/ FB | 90.8% | 70.7% | +63.4 pts since '05 | 690 | 760 | — | 62 |
| 16 | Judson UniversityIL NAIA-I | 74.7% | 81.1% | +63.3 pts since '05 | 513 | 687 | $5K $9/athlete | 72 |
| 17 | Truett McConnell UniversityGA NAIA-I | 60.3% | 72.2% | +59.7 pts since '05 | 423 | 702 | $51K $121/athlete | 75 |
| 18 | Indiana Institute of TechnologyIN NAIA-I | 75.6% | 83.9% | +59.5 pts since '05 | 1,057 | 1,398 | $69K $65/athlete | 28 |
| 19 | Lourdes UniversityOH NAIA-II | 63.1% | 54.1% | +59.5 pts since '10 | 323 | 512 | $34K $106/athlete | 100 |
| 20 | Tusculum UniversityTN DII w/ FB | 76.0% | 71.6% | +58.6 pts since '05 | 559 | 736 | $80K $144/athlete | 85 |
| 21 | Barton CollegeNC DII w/ FB | 77.2% | 75.5% | +57.9 pts since '05 | 709 | 918 | $39K $55/athlete | 74 |
| 22 | Arkansas Baptist CollegeAR NAIA-I | 64.3% | 32.4% | +57.8 pts since '05 | 193 | 300 | $6K $33/athlete | 66 |
| 23 | Corban UniversityOR NAIA-II | 58.4% | 100.0% 1.7× reported | +57.3 pts since '05 | 355 | 608 | $16K $44/athlete | 68 |
| 24 | Wheeling UniversityWV DII w/ FB | 82.1% | 57.6% | +57.0 pts since '05 | 478 | 582 | $80K $167/athlete | 100 |
| 25 | Blue Mountain Christian UniversityMS NAIA-I | 67.6% | 60.0% | +56.4 pts since '07 | 323 | 478 | $16K $49/athlete | 73 |
| 26 | Clarke UniversityIA NAIA-I | 78.5% | 68.0% | +55.8 pts since '05 | 568 | 724 | $44K $78/athlete | 55 |
| 27 | Mars Hill UniversityNC DII w/ FB | 60.8% | 50.7% | +55.1 pts since '05 | 606 | 996 | $51K $84/athlete | 80 |
| 28 | Friends UniversityKS NAIA-I | 72.0% | 67.0% | +53.2 pts since '05 | 713 | 990 | $50K $69/athlete | 58 |
| 29 | Montreat CollegeNC NAIA-I | 69.5% | 75.7% | +53.0 pts since '05 | 485 | 698 | — | 38 |
| 30 | Cleary UniversityMI NAIA-I | 57.2% | 100.0% 1.7× reported | +52.3 pts since '12 | 309 | 540 | $9K $29/athlete | 79 |
| 31 | Adams State UniversityCO DII w/ FB | 73.3% | 59.7% | +52.3 pts since '05 | 671 | 915 | $54K $81/athlete | 74 |
| 32 | Bluefield UniversityVA NAIA-I | 68.1% | 55.6% | +52.3 pts since '05 | 375 | 551 | $17K $45/athlete | 100 |
| 33 | York UniversityNE NAIA-II | 96.5% | 48.5% | +52.1 pts since '05 | 383 | 397 | — | 50 |
| 34 | Trinity Bible College and Graduate SchoolND NCCAA Division II | 51.7% | 40.8% | +51.7 pts new program | 104 | 201 | $7K $65/athlete | 41 |
| 35 | Baptist Bible CollegeMO NAIA-I | 58.0% | 39.0% | +51.5 pts since '12 | 195 | 336 | $0 $0/athlete | 68 |
| 36 | Midway UniversityKY NAIA-I | 63.3% | 43.4% | +51.3 pts since '07 | 681 | 1,075 | $25K $37/athlete | 35 |
| 37 | Calumet College of Saint JosephIN NAIA-II | 74.4% | 64.3% | +50.3 pts since '05 | 285 | 383 | $29K $102/athlete | 36 |
| 38 | Marietta CollegeOH DIII w/ FB | 52.3% | 40.2% | +49.2 pts since '05 | 480 | 918 | $65K $136/athlete | 100 |
| 39 | Thomas UniversityGA NAIA-I | 62.9% | 42.8% | +48.8 pts since '05 | 361 | 574 | $8K $22/athlete | 79 |
| 40 | Oklahoma Wesleyan UniversityOK NAIA-II | 76.3% | 39.2% | +48.8 pts since '05 | 464 | 608 | $46K $99/athlete | 30 |
| 41 | Belmont Abbey CollegeNC DII | 77.7% | 62.2% | +48.6 pts since '05 | 957 | 1,232 | $61K $63/athlete | 95 |
| 42 | Principia CollegeIL DIII | 48.5% | 68.2% | +48.5 pts new program | 163 | 336 | $22K $136/athlete | 41 |
| 43 | Kansas Wesleyan UniversityKS NAIA-I | 90.0% | 41.6% | +48.1 pts since '05 | 807 | 897 | $36K $45/athlete | 50 |
| 44 | Queens University of CharlotteNC DI | 47.9% | 48.1% | +47.6 pts since '05 | 565 | 1,180 | $172K $304/athlete | 67 |
| 45 | Union CollegeKY NAIA-I | 83.4% | 39.0% | +47.5 pts since '05 | 588 | 705 | $7K $11/athlete | 61 |
| 46 | University of ProvidenceMT NAIA-I | 65.8% | 49.8% | +47.3 pts since '05 | 308 | 468 | $49K $159/athlete | 55 |
| 47 | William Penn UniversityIA NAIA-I | 68.0% | 43.0% | +47.0 pts since '05 | 842 | 1,238 | $112K $133/athlete | 84 |
| 48 | Grand View UniversityIA NAIA-I | 61.7% | 50.3% | +46.9 pts since '05 | 851 | 1,379 | $36K $42/athlete | 78 |
| 49 | Aquinas CollegeMI NAIA-II | 72.2% | 64.4% | +46.3 pts since '05 | 700 | 969 | $73K $105/athlete | 75 |
| 50 | Midland UniversityNE NAIA-II | 84.0% | 81.1% | +45.7 pts since '05 | 967 | 1,151 | $91K $94/athlete | 98 |