College Field Hockey Scholarships and Recruiting
How do I Get a College Field Hockey Scholarship?
Field hockey scholarships are offered only to female athletes, and there are a limited number of schools that offer this opportunity. All decisions regarding scholarships are made by the coaches based on their needs for that year. If you think you are a good-enough athlete to earn a scholarship, use our tips on how to make your dream of playing college field hockey a reality.
How do I Get a College Field Hockey Coach to Watch Me?
College field hockey coaches watch players at National Tournaments/Showcases, summer tournaments and camps. The first step to gaining exposure is having a great video and to be playing on a competitive club team, making sure that you are attending national events as an individual or part of a club that will travel to showcases that are attended by a good majority of college coaches. Here is how to use those two steps to get coaches to your games.
Improve Your Chances of Getting a Scholarship
Providing high-quality references to coaches can make or break your recruiting process. Coaches will want to ask your references about how coachable you are and if you are someone who makes everyone around you better. For more assistance as to how to stand out from others, follow these tips.
How Does the Field Hockey Recruiting Process Work?
Only well rounded student athletes get recruited for field hockey. Each program has different positional needs, and just being a good player will not guarantee you interest from a coach. Here is more information on setting up a plan to get recruited.
How Good do I Need to be to Play College Field Hockey?
High School and Club Recognition
- NCAA DI – Tier 1
- 4 year Starter
- 3 years All League/District
- 2 years All State
- 1 year All American
- Club team competes in national level tournaments
- NCAA DI – Tier II
- 3 year Starter
- 3 years All League/District
- 1 year All State
- Club team competes in national or state level tournaments
- NCAA DII/ NCAA DIII
- 2- to 3-year Starter
- 2 years All League/District
- Club team competes at state level tournaments
How Many Scholarships are Available and What Schools Offer Them?
The majority of field hockey programs are located in northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions of the United States.
Number of College Field Hockey Programs
NCAA DI: 79
NCAA DII: 33
*NCAA DIII: 165
Total: 277
*NCAA Division 3 schools do not offer athletic scholarships, but they do offer other forms of financial aid.
Number of Scholarships Offered Per Team, Per Year, by Division
NCAA DI: 12
NCAA DII: 6.3
Not all programs have full 12 scholarships available. Some programs also have limits on the number of scholarships they can provide to out-of-state or international students.
Field hockey is an equivalency sport, which means all scholarships are not full scholarships. For example, in NCAA DI, coaches can divide the value of the 12 scholarships available to them between as many players as they see fit.
IMPORTANT: NCSA College Recruiting provides a college search tool where you can explore field hockey scholarships by state. What are you waiting for? Start your search today!
The Top Field Hockey Colleges in Each Division?
The majority of field hockey programs compete at the DIII level. The majority of scholarship opportunities are at the DI level.
NCAA DI:Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, Syracuse, Princeton, Michigan, Penn State, Louisville, Delaware and Stanford.
NCAA DII: Shippensburg, LIU Post, Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg, Stonehill, Indiana (Pennsylvania), Millersville, Saint Anselm, West Chester and Adelphi.
NCAA DIII: Messiah, Ursinus, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Tufts, Salisbury, TCNJ, Franklin & Marshall, Trinity, Montclair State, Amherst and Babson.
IMPORTANT: NAIA rule changes. You must now register with the NAIA Clearinghouse.
Field Hockey scholarships. College Field Hockey Recruiting
College Field Hockey Summer Camps
Author: David Frank
Find opportunities for athletic scholarships and get connected to college coaches.