The history of soccer can be traced back to the mid 19ths in England but in America today, it has become one of the most popular sports. From the regular neighborhood pick-up games to high school scorer clubs, the popularity of soccer in the United States is on the rise.
A survey in 2018 Gallup poll had 7% of Americans saying that soccer was their favorite sport to watch.
The popularity of soccer in the United States can be credited to the increasing popularity of college soccer as it has it role in the overall popularity of soccer in the US.
The games at the college level can fill stadiums and are even aired on television and live-streamed on social media.
So with this, schools are always looking out for exceptional players to come to their campuses and they could go as far as offering scholarships to these players.
These scholarships are regulated by three national college athletic associations which are NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA which sets limits on how many full ride scholarships can be offered to both male and female soccer players in any division.
So if you are a soccer player and you want to turn your talent into money for college, you should consider getting a scholarship. We will be showing you the best colleges for soccer scholarships in USA.
Without further ado, let’s proceed…
Best Colleges For Soccer Scholarship In USA
Since soccer has become a very popular sport in the United States, a lot of universities and colleges are looking to bring in the best soccer players to their school to represent them at any competitive and offering scholarships is one way to attract these talented high school soccer players.
We will be categorizing these colleges for soccer scholarship in the U.S. into men and women soccer.
Best Colleges For Men Soccer Scholarship In USA
- Georgetown University (Men’s Soccer)
- Michigan State University (Men’s Soccer)
- Stanford University (Men’s Soccer)
- The Ohio State University (Men’s Soccer)
- University of California – Los Angeles (Men’s Soccer)
- University of Maryland (Men’s Soccer)
- University of Notre Dame (Men’s Soccer)
- University of Washington (Men’s Soccer)
Stanford University
This is a private research university that was established on November 11, 1885 by Leland and Jane Stanford and it is located in the census-designated place of Stanford, California. The university is ranked among the top universities in the world.
The university always appears on the NCAA’s Division 1 rankings when it comes to men’s soccer and many of its soccer players are also Herman Trophy recipients.
The full athletic scholarship of Stanford University includes tuition fee, orientation fees, supplies, room and board fees, personal expenses, health and documentation fees, and travel.
With this type of scholarship, student-athletes are able to focus on their studies. One thing you should know is that the full scholarship doesn’t include the Cardinal Care which is the university’s student health insurance. It is usually waived before the deadline.
For more information about the scholarship, visit: www.admission.stanford.edu/student/athletics/intercollegiate/
University of California- Los Angeles
This is a public land-grant research university that was established in 1881 as a teachers college and had many names after that before getting its present name in 1919 which makes it the second-oldest of the 10-campus University of California system.
The Athletic scholarship that is awarded by the university is merit-based which means that it is based on academic and athletic ability. These scholarships are funded by ticket sales, media contracts, corporate partnerships and private donations.
The UCLA is a member of the NCAA’s Pac-12 Conference and it offers full scholarships that attract top athletes. The university has student-athletes that are trained with the U.S. national teams.
The university awards over 280 full athletic scholarships to its best student-athletes in various sports every year including soccer. These scholarships cover tuition fees and some other expenses.
The applicants must meet the scholarship requirements and also be registered at the NCAA Eligibility Centre.
For more information about the scholarship, visit www.uclabruins.com/sports/
Michigan State University
This is a public land-grant research university that was established in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. The university is located in East Lansing, Michigan.
The athletic team of the university is called Michigan State Spartans and they compete in the NCAA Division 1 Big Ten Conference. It is among the NCAA’s most winning teams with about 19 appearances in the College Cup and two co-national championships.
The university’s athletics scholarship program is administered by the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. This scholarship program is offered across 26 sports including men’s soccer.
The full scholarship covers tuition and other fees, room and abroad while the partial scholarship covers just a few expenses.
Many of the student-athletes go for the full scholarship and this makes it very competitive and the scholarship is merit-based.
Both the full and partial scholarships are valid for one year only and they are reviewed and renewed every year with the university’s rules and regulations.
For more information about the scholarship, visit www.finaid.msu.edu/athletes/
University of Washington
This is a public research university established in 1861 and it is located in Seattle, Washington. It is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast. It is also one of the top universities in the world as it is known for its medical, engineering and scientific research.
The University of Washington’s athletic team is called the Huskies and they are among the top-five team on the NCAA Division 1 rankings. Its soccer and scholarship program attracts top athletes.
The athletic scholarship program of the university states the percentage of the grant-in-aid costs it will cover for a specific period. The scholarship amount varies from one student-athlete to another so recipients are expected to read the fine print.
The NCAA rules ensures that the athletic scholarship is evenly disbursed over three quarters of the regular academic year and with this, recipient will likely have a partial housing bill or a partial tuition bill for every quarter. Then they will have to employ the services of a financial aid counselor and their coach to ensure that the soccer scholarship cover most of their expenses.
You should note that the athletic scholarship doesn’t cover UPass, fees for late registration or even health insurance.
For more information about the scholarship, visit www.gohuskies.com/sports/
University of Maryland
This is a public land-grant research university that was established in 1856 and it is located in College Park, Maryland. The university is a flagship institution of the University System of Maryland and it is the largest university in both the state and the Washington metropolitan area.
The athletic team of the university is called Maryland Terrapins and the team is a four-time NCAA Division 1 College Cup national champion and a four-time Big Ten Conference champion.
The university’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is in charge of the intercollegiate athletic programs and also the scholarship program. The scholarship is awarded based on the academic and athletic ability of the students.
The student-athlete will have to meet all the University of Maryland, Big Ten Conference and NCAA eligibility requirements like the percentage of degree completion, minimum GPA and number of credits earned during the previous academic year and semester.
The student-athlete must be a full-time student to be eligible for practice and completion with the team.
The minimum GPA required ranges from 1.8 to 2.0 and also the student-athletes must have excellent time management skills.
For more information about the scholarship visit: https://academiccatalog.umd.edu/undergraduate/campus-administration-resources-student-services/academic-resources-services/intercollegiate-athletics/
Best Colleges For Women’s Soccer Scholarship In USA
- Azusa Pacific University (Women’s Soccer)
- Concordia University Ann Arbor (Women’s Soccer)
- Florida State University (Women’s Soccer)
- Fort Lewis University (Women’s Soccer)
- Texas A&M University (Women’s Soccer)
- University of California San Diego (Women’s Soccer)
- University of Portland (Women’s Soccer)
University of California – San Diego (Women Soccer)
This is a public land-grant research university located in San Diego, California. The university was established on November 18, 1960.
The athletic team of the university is called Tritons and they have a lot of titles tied to their name. The women’s soccer teams were the CCAA Champions and NCAA National Champions during their first seasons of Division II play.
The University of California- San Diego soccer program is widely considered as one of the most successful athletic programs in the U.S.
The athletic programs have a rigorous admission process that applies to its soccer program and interested students must fill and submit their applications for admission and scholarship before November 30 every year.
For more information about the scholarship, visit: www.ucsdtritons.com/
University Of Portland (Women’s Soccer)
This is a private Catholic university that was established in 1901 and it is located in Portland, Oregon.
The athletic team of the university is called Portland Pilots. The Portland Pilot women’s soccer team won the NCAA national championships twice (2002 and 2005). The university supports its student-athletes by offering athletic scholarships.
The athletic scholarships offered by the university can cover most of the college expenses but students must meet the NCAA eligibility requirements before they can be eligible to receive the soccer scholarship.
For more information about the scholarship, visit: https://portlandpilots.com/sports/
Florida State University (Women’s Soccer)
This is a public research university that was established in 1851 and it is located in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida.
The university’s athletic team is called Florida State Seminoles and it competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The women’s soccer program is one of the best in the U.S. they are two-time College Cup champions (2014 and 2018).
The university will assess and evaluate your academic and athletic records and ability and you must pass this evaluation before you will be eligible for the soccer program.
Whether part or all your tuition costs will be covered during your stay at the FSU depends on the scholarship. The scholarship costs for an in-state-student-athlete is $21,208 and that of an out-of-state student-athlete is $35,870.
For more information about the scholarships, visit: https://financialaid.fsu.edu/types-aid/scholarships/athletic-scholarships/
Texas A&M University (women’s soccer)
This is a public land-grant research senior military college that was founded in 1876 and it became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. The university is located in College Station, Texas.
The Texas A&M University Athletic team is called Texas A&M Aggies and they are a member of the Southeastern Conference.
The women’s soccer team has made 20 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament.
The A&M-Texarkana Athletic Scholarships is offer to students from various degree programs by the university’s Department of Athletics. The students must meet the minimum university and NAIA Eligibility Center Scholarship requirements.
For more information about the scholarship and its eligibility requirements, visit: https://scholarships.tamu.edu/
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best college for men’s soccer in USA?
- Georgetown University (Men’s Soccer)
- Michigan State University (Men’s Soccer)
- Stanford University (Men’s Soccer)
- The Ohio State University (Men’s Soccer)
- University of California – Los Angeles (Men’s Soccer)
- University of Maryland (Men’s Soccer)
- University of Notre Dame (Men’s Soccer)
- University of Washington (Men’s Soccer)
What is the best college for women’s soccer in USA?
- Azusa Pacific University (Women’s Soccer)
- Concordia University Ann Arbor (Women’s Soccer)
- Florida State University (Women’s Soccer)
- Fort Lewis University (Women’s Soccer)
- Texas A&M University (Women’s Soccer)
- University of California San Diego (Women’s Soccer)
- University of Portland (Women’s Soccer)
How do I get a soccer scholarship in America as an International student?
- Rely on your soccer coach to get you a scholarship
- Get a soccer assessment and determine eligibility
- Go to soccer training camp in the U.S.
- Get good grades
- Contact coaches directly
- Use a recruiting agency
Are soccer scholarships hard to get?
The college soccer recruiting process is very competitive and the number of scholarships offered per team, per year by division. Just try to get your grades up and be good at what you do and you will have an edge in the selection.
Final Note
Athletic scholarships are all over the world and many institutions provide students with sports scholarships to support and help them build their career in specific sport.
Soccer has become a popular sport in America and a lot of universities in USA invest greatly in this sport.
Several colleges are involved in supporting students with a scholarship to build their chosen sport. With the list, you have choices to pick from, if you are planning to study abroad.
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