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NCAA Core GPA Calculator

Student-athletes: Calculate your NCAA Core Course GPA to ensure you meet the strict Division I and Division II academic eligibility requirements.

Important: The NCAA uses a strict unweighted scale (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0). Plus/Minus grades do not affect NCAA GPA. Only enter approved Core Courses.

NCAA Core Courses

Total Entered: 4 / 16

NCAA Core GPA

0.00
✓ Good Academic Standing
0.03.00 / 4.04.0
FailingMinPerfect
You need 12 more core credits to reach the 16 minimum.
Division I StatusFull Qualifier (Eligible)Minimum 2.3 Required
Division II StatusFull Qualifier (Eligible)Minimum 2.2 Required

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What Counts as a Core Course?

The NCAA explicitly rejects electives, physical education, health, and vocational classes from their calculation. You should ONLY enter classes from the following categories:

Division I Breakdown (16 Total)

  • 4 years of English
  • 3 years of Math (Algebra 1 or higher)
  • 2 years of Natural/Physical Science
  • 1 additional year of English, Math, or Science
  • 2 years of Social Science
  • 4 additional years of any core courses (often Foreign Language)

The 10/7 Rule (Div I Only)

Before you start your senior year (7th semester), you MUST have completed 10 of your 16 core courses. Furthermore, 7 of those 10 courses must be from the English, Math, or Science categories. Once your senior year starts, the grades in those 10 courses are "locked in" for eligibility purposes and cannot be retaken.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Your high school calculates a cumulative GPA using all your classes (including PE, Art, Health, and electives). The NCAA ONLY uses 'Core Courses' (English, Math, Natural/Physical Science, Social Science, Foreign Language, Comparative Religion, or Philosophy) to calculate your eligibility GPA. This means your NCAA GPA is usually lower than your high school GPA.
To compete in your first year of Division I, you must have a minimum 2.3 NCAA Core Course GPA. If your Core GPA is between 2.0 and 2.299, you may be considered an 'Academic Redshirt', meaning you can practice and receive a scholarship, but you cannot compete in games your first year.
To compete in your first year of Division II sports, you must have a minimum 2.2 NCAA Core Course GPA. Similar to DI, if your GPA is between 2.0 and 2.199, you are a 'Partial Qualifier' and can practice but not compete.
For both Division I and Division II, you must complete exactly 16 approved core courses. For Division I, 10 of these 16 courses must be completed before the start of your 7th semester (senior year) of high school, and 7 of those 10 must be in English, Math, or Science.

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