How to get recruited for college soccer

What levels of college soccer are there?

College soccer is played at five levels: NCAA Division I, II and III, the NAIA and junior college. The NCAA lists 349 women's and 213 men's Division I programs, and Division III has the most of any level, with 415 women's and 406 men's teams in November 2026.

Junior colleges add more than 500 women's and men's teams through the NJCAA, and the NAIA has its own programs. Most college soccer players are not at Division I schools: in the NCAA's 2024-25 figures, 7.9% of high school girls and 5.9% of boys go on to play NCAA soccer, and more of them land in Division II and III than in Division I. How the levels differ in money, time and rules is in college sports divisions explained. Every program is in the soccer colleges directory.

How do you build a soccer school list that fits you?

Start with fit before you write to a coach. For each school, check that your grades are in range for admission, that it offers what you want to study, what your family would pay after aid, and how far it is from home. Then add a range of levels, since money and roster spots differ at each one.

A coach can want you, but the school still has to admit you and your family still has to pay for it. Check three things for every school:

• Academics: are your grades in range, and does the school have your major?
• Cost: what would your family pay after aid, not the sticker price?
• Distance: how far from home works for you and your parents?

Then add level. Division III gives no athletic scholarships, while Division I, Division II, the NAIA and most junior colleges can. How the money works at each one is in soccer scholarships by level. Aim for 20 to 40 schools across a few levels, some reaches, some likely fits and some safe choices.

Do you need to play club soccer to get recruited?

No, but club play is where most college coaches scout. Top club leagues hold showcases that coaches attend in large numbers, so a club team gets you seen by more of them. High school players do get recruited too, most often by Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college programs.

College soccer coaches recruit most heavily at club showcases, because one weekend lets them see dozens of players they are tracking. Girls in the top tiers play in leagues such as ECNL and Girls Academy, and boys in MLS NEXT and ECNL. ECNL Regional League, DPL, NPL and state leagues are the next steps down, and coaches from every level watch those too.

If you play high school soccer only, you can still be recruited. Send film, go to the ID camps of schools on your list, and email coaches first. What club league you play in, and how to use it in your emails, is in club soccer and recruiting.

What should your soccer recruiting film show?

Send a short highlight video of three to five minutes with your best clips first, and at least one full game. Coaches use the highlight to decide whether to watch more and the full game to see how you play when the ball is away from you. Mark yourself before each clip and post both on Hudl or YouTube.

Clips by position, and how to cut the full game, are in the soccer recruiting video guide. General tips for any sport are in how to make a recruiting video.

When can college soccer coaches contact you?

You can email any college soccer coach at any time. NCAA Division I coaches can start calling, texting and emailing you on June 15 after your sophomore year. Division II coaches can write at any time, Division III has no date limit on messages, and NAIA and junior college coaches have few limits.

Before June 15 after your sophomore year, a Division I coach can reply to you only with camp information, and recruiting conversations at camps wait until then too. The full rules by level, with the dead periods around signing week, are in soccer recruiting rules.

Signing for the class of 2027 opens Wednesday, November 11, 2026, the second Wednesday in November, for most NCAA Division I and II sports, soccer included.

What should you send college soccer coaches?

Write a short email yourself, not a parent, with your name, graduation year, position, club team and league, high school, film links, GPA and your next showcase or tournament. Add one line on why that school interests you. Fill out the team's recruiting questionnaire too, and follow up about a week later.

Plan on four emails before you write another coach on that staff, each with something new. Example emails and the follow-up plan are in how to email college coaches.

Are soccer ID camps worth it?

An ID camp at a school on your list lets its coaches see you in person, and that is when camps pay off. Email the coach before you sign up so they know who you are. A camp at a school that isn't a fit for your grades, budget or level is practice, not recruiting.

Ask the coach whether they'll be evaluating your position and class at that camp, and whether you'd be a fit for their roster. Big multi-school showcases can be worth it when coaches from your target schools say they'll be there. Before you pay for any event, ask which college coaches are attending.

How REACH helps with soccer recruiting

REACH lists more than 2,300 women's and men's college soccer programs at NCAA Division I, II and III and junior colleges. It checks your grades against each school's admissions and shows your family's cost after aid. REACH does not score your soccer, because coaches decide on film and where you play. It puts you in front of each coach with your position, your club team and your film link, and nothing goes out until you approve it.

Replies come back into REACH, and parents see every coach message. REACH is independent and not affiliated with the NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA. It is free to start. More is on the soccer recruiting page.

Questions

Can I get recruited for college soccer as a senior?

Yes. Many Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college programs are still building their rosters in a player's senior year. Email coaches now with your film and your club schedule, and look at schools with open spots at your position.

Do college soccer coaches care about grades?

Yes. A coach can only recruit you if the school admits you, and many players at Division III and other levels combine academic aid with any athletic money. Good grades make you easier to recruit.

How many college soccer programs are there?

The NCAA lists 1,025 women's and 823 men's soccer programs across Divisions I, II and III in November 2026. Junior colleges and the NAIA add hundreds more.

Should my parents email coaches for me?

No. Coaches want to hear from you. Parents can help you plan, read replies and join calls, but the emails should come from you.