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 | Ottawa University-SurpriseAZ NAIA-I | 100.0% | 94.8% | +100.0 pts new program | 777 | 777 | $68K $88/athlete | — |
| 2 | University of Fort LauderdaleFL NCCAA Division I | 86.2% | 63.0% | +86.2 pts new program | 244 | 283 | $0 $0/athlete | 46 |
| 3 | Life UniversityGA NAIA-I | 87.9% | 41.8% | +80.9 pts since '12 | 691 | 786 | $53K $76/athlete | 86 |
| 4 | 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 |
| 5 | Virginia University of LynchburgVA Other | 78.3% | 68.3% | +78.3 pts new program | 180 | 230 | $4K $22/athlete | 0 |
| 6 | Marian University-AncillaIN NJCAA-II | 63.8% | 59.1% | +63.8 pts new program | 143 | 224 | $0 $0/athlete | — |
| 7 | Indiana Institute of TechnologyIN NAIA-I | 75.6% | 83.9% | +58.5 pts since '12 | 1,057 | 1,398 | $69K $65/athlete | 28 |
| 8 | Kentucky Christian UniversityKY NAIA-I | 91.7% | 78.2% | +58.0 pts since '12 | 386 | 421 | $76K $198/athlete | 68 |
| 9 | Oakland City UniversityIN NAIA-I | 89.0% | 75.5% | +57.9 pts since '12 | 437 | 491 | $20K $45/athlete | 100 |
| 10 | Belmont Abbey CollegeNC DII | 77.7% | 62.2% | +56.1 pts since '12 | 957 | 1,232 | $61K $63/athlete | 100 |
| 11 | North American UniversityTX NAIA-II | 55.3% | 30.0% | +55.3 pts new program | 316 | 571 | $7K $22/athlete | 61 |
| 12 | Tusculum UniversityTN DII w/ FB | 76.0% | 71.6% | +55.0 pts since '12 | 559 | 736 | $80K $144/athlete | 85 |
| 13 | Chowan UniversityNC DII w/ FB | 79.2% | 62.5% | +54.0 pts since '12 | 456 | 576 | $37K $81/athlete | 73 |
| 14 | Emmanuel CollegeGA DII | 89.8% | 69.6% | +53.0 pts since '12 | 683 | 761 | $84K $123/athlete | 86 |
| 15 | Cleary UniversityMI NAIA-I | 57.2% | 91.2% 1.6× reported | +52.3 pts since '12 | 309 | 540 | $9K $29/athlete | 79 |
| 16 | Lourdes UniversityOH NAIA-II | 63.1% | 54.1% | +52.3 pts since '12 | 323 | 512 | $34K $106/athlete | 100 |
| 17 | Midway UniversityKY NAIA-I | 63.3% | 43.4% | +52.1 pts since '12 | 681 | 1,075 | $25K $37/athlete | 42 |
| 18 | Barton CollegeNC DII w/ FB | 77.2% | 75.5% | +52.0 pts since '12 | 709 | 918 | $39K $55/athlete | 74 |
| 19 | Trinity Bible College and Graduate SchoolND NCCAA Division II | 51.7% | 40.8% | +51.7 pts new program | 104 | 201 | $7K $65/athlete | 41 |
| 20 | Baptist Bible CollegeMO NAIA-I | 58.0% | 30.0% | +51.5 pts since '12 | 195 | 336 | $0 $0/athlete | 68 |
| 21 | Aquinas CollegeMI NAIA-II | 72.2% | 64.4% | +49.2 pts since '12 | 700 | 969 | $73K $105/athlete | 75 |
| 22 | Friends UniversityKS NAIA-I | 72.0% | 67.0% | +48.6 pts since '12 | 713 | 990 | $50K $69/athlete | 58 |
| 23 | Principia CollegeIL DIII | 48.5% | 68.2% | +48.5 pts new program | 163 | 336 | $22K $136/athlete | 56 |
| 24 | Allen UniversitySC DII w/ FB | 53.2% | 65.5% | +48.0 pts since '12 | 298 | 560 | $18K $60/athlete | 73 |
| 25 | University of Saint MaryKS NAIA-II | 83.9% | 82.0% | +47.3 pts since '12 | 691 | 824 | $50K $73/athlete | 41 |
| 26 | York UniversityNE NAIA-II | 96.5% | 48.5% | +47.2 pts since '12 | 383 | 397 | $0 $0/athlete | 50 |
| 27 | Blue Mountain Christian UniversityMS NAIA-I | 67.6% | 60.0% | +46.7 pts since '12 | 323 | 478 | $16K $49/athlete | 73 |
| 28 | Pitzer CollegeCA DIII w/ FB | 45.4% | 77.8% 1.7× reported | +45.4 pts new program | 542 | 1,195 | $77K $142/athlete | 5 |
| 29 | Hope International UniversityCA NAIA-I | 63.0% | 100.0% 1.6× reported | +44.9 pts since '12 | 315 | 500 | $45K $143/athlete | 78 |
| 30 | Arlington Baptist UniversityTX NCCAA Division II | 73.7% | 31.1% | +44.4 pts since '12 | 205 | 278 | $0 $0/athlete | 15 |
| 31 | Clarke UniversityIA NAIA-I | 78.5% | 68.0% | +43.9 pts since '12 | 568 | 724 | $44K $78/athlete | 55 |
| 32 | Ottawa University-OttawaKS NAIA-I | 100.0% | 100.0% | +43.1 pts since '12 | 858 | 811 | $54K $62/athlete | 96 |
| 33 | Dallas Christian CollegeTX Other | 78.7% | 50.2% | +42.3 pts since '12 | 163 | 207 | $3K $16/athlete | 83 |
| 34 | Reinhardt UniversityGA NAIA-I | 63.7% | 39.9% | +41.8 pts since '12 | 656 | 1,030 | $18K $27/athlete | 73 |
| 35 | Union CollegeKY NAIA-I | 83.4% | 39.0% | +41.2 pts since '12 | 588 | 705 | $7K $11/athlete | 61 |
| 36 | MidAmerica Nazarene UniversityKS NAIA-I | 63.0% | 52.5% | +40.5 pts since '12 | 577 | 916 | $0 $0/athlete | 44 |
| 37 | Wheeling UniversityWV DII w/ FB | 82.1% | 57.6% | +40.5 pts since '12 | 478 | 582 | $80K $167/athlete | 93 |
| 38 | Quincy UniversityIL DII w/ FB | 75.1% | 71.0% | +40.5 pts since '12 | 743 | 989 | $97K $131/athlete | 100 |
| 39 | Madonna UniversityMI NAIA-I | 51.4% | 75.9% | +40.4 pts since '12 | 683 | 1,329 | $12K $18/athlete | 94 |
| 40 | Warner UniversityFL NAIA-I | 71.3% | 57.2% | +40.3 pts since '12 | 504 | 707 | $16K $32/athlete | 62 |
| 41 | Southern Wesleyan UniversitySC DII | 52.7% | 17.5% | +39.9 pts since '12 | 307 | 583 | $9K $29/athlete | 54 |
| 42 | Bethel College-North NewtonKS NAIA-II | 83.9% | 91.1% | +39.6 pts since '12 | 412 | 491 | $37K $89/athlete | 46 |
| 43 | Adams State UniversityCO DII w/ FB | 73.3% | 59.7% | +39.5 pts since '12 | 671 | 915 | $54K $81/athlete | 74 |
| 44 | Bryant & Stratton College-AlbanyNY USCAA | 39.3% | 53.4% | +39.3 pts new program | 81 | 206 | $3K $36/athlete | 62 |
| 45 | Thomas UniversityGA NAIA-I | 62.9% | 42.8% | +39.3 pts since '12 | 361 | 574 | $8K $22/athlete | 79 |
| 46 | Erskine CollegeSC DII w/ FB | 90.8% | 70.7% | +38.9 pts since '12 | 690 | 760 | $0 $0/athlete | 62 |
| 47 | Franklin Pierce UniversityNH DII w/ FB | 69.2% | 73.1% | +38.5 pts since '12 | 583 | 843 | $54K $92/athlete | 65 |
| 48 | Davis & Elkins CollegeWV DII | 61.9% | 42.1% | +38.0 pts since '12 | 404 | 653 | $22K $56/athlete | 50 |
| 49 | Milligan UniversityTN NAIA-II | 72.2% | 100.0% | +37.6 pts since '17 | 586 | 812 | $120K $205/athlete | 40 |
| 50 | Presentation CollegeSD NAIA-II | 70.5% | 35.8% | +37.4 pts since '12 | 335 | 475 | $66K $198/athlete | — |