If you are a high school student who excels in both academics and athletics, you might be wondering, do Ivy League schools give athletic scholarships?
The Ivy League is a group of eight elite colleges and universities in the northeastern United States, known for their academic excellence, selective admissions, and rich history.
These are the schools.
- Brown University
- Columbia University
- Cornell University
- Dartmouth College
- Harvard University
- Princeton University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Yale University
Many students dream of attending an Ivy League school, but the cost of tuition and fees can be daunting.
According to US News, the average tuition and fees for the 2020-2021 academic year at an Ivy League school was $58,668.
That’s more than twice the national average for private colleges and universities.
So, do Ivy League schools give athletic scholarships to help students afford their education?
The short answer is no.
Unlike most other Division I schools, Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships to their students.
They only offer need-based financial aid to admitted students, regardless of their athletic ability or potential.
Why don’t Ivy League schools give athletic scholarships?
The main reason why Ivy League schools don’t give athletic scholarships is because they want to maintain their academic standards and integrity.
They believe that offering scholarships based on athletic performance would compromise their primary goal of providing a well-rounded, high-quality education to their students.
They also want to avoid creating a culture of preferential treatment or entitlement among their student-athletes.
Another reason why Ivy League schools don’t give athletic scholarships is because they don’t need to.
They have enough prestige and reputation to attract top-notch students from all over the world, without having to lure them with financial incentives.
They also have generous endowments that allow them to offer substantial financial aid packages to students who demonstrate financial need.
How do Ivy League athletes pay for school?
If Ivy League schools don’t give athletic scholarships, how do their student-athletes pay for their education?
The answer is through need-based financial aid.
All Ivy League schools use a similar formula to determine how much financial aid a student qualifies for, based on their family income, assets, and other factors.
The financial aid package usually consists of grants, work-study, and loans.
The amount of financial aid a student receives depends on their individual circumstances, but some Ivy League schools have more generous policies than others.
For example, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale do not expect students to take out any loans as part of their financial aid package, while other Ivies may include some loans in their offer.
Some Ivies also have lower income thresholds for qualifying for full financial aid than others.
To give you an idea of how much financial aid an Ivy League student-athlete can expect to receive, here are some examples from the official websites of each school.
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Brown
A student from a family with an income of $60,000 or less will receive a full scholarship that covers tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses.
A student from a family with an income of $100,000 will receive an average scholarship of $55,000.
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Columbia
A student from a family with an income of $60,000 or less will receive a full scholarship that covers tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses.
A student from a family with an income of $100,000 will receive an average scholarship of $51,000.
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Cornell
A student from a family with an income of $60,000 or less will receive a full scholarship that covers tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses.
A student from a family with an income of $100,000 will receive an average scholarship of $47,000.
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Dartmouth
A student from a family with an income of $65,000 or less will receive a full scholarship that covers tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses.
A student from a family with an income of $100,000 will receive an average scholarship of $50,000.
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Harvard
A student from a family with an income of $65,000 or less will receive a full scholarship that covers tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses.
A student from a family with an income of $150,000 will pay 10% or less of their income towards the cost of attendance.
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Princeton
A student from a family with an income of $65,000 or less will receive a full scholarship that covers tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses.
A student from a family with an income of $160,000 will pay 10% or less of their income towards the cost of attendance.
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Penn
A student from a family with an income of $65,000 or less will receive a full scholarship that covers tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses.
A student from a family with an income of $100,000 will receive an average scholarship of $54,000.
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Yale
A student from a family with an income of $65,000 or less will receive a full scholarship that covers tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses.
A student from a family with an income of $200,000 will pay 10% or less of their income towards the cost of attendance.
As you can see, Ivy League schools offer generous financial aid to their students, including their student-athletes.
However, not every student will qualify for financial aid, and some may still have to pay a significant amount of money out of pocket or through loans.
Therefore, it is important for prospective Ivy League student-athletes to research the financial aid policies and requirements of each school they are interested in, and to apply for any scholarships or grants they may be eligible for from other sources.
Which Ivy League is best for athletics?
While Ivy League schools are not known for their athletic prowess compared to other Division I schools, they still have competitive and successful teams in various sports.
Some Ivy League schools have more athletic achievements than others, depending on the sport and the year.
Therefore, it is hard to say which Ivy League is the best for athletics overall, as it may depend on the preferences and goals of each individual student-athlete.
However, based on some objective criteria, such as the number of NCAA championships, conference titles, and national rankings, we can rank the Ivy League schools according to their athletic performance in the past decade.
Here is one possible ranking, based on data from the official websites of each school and other sources:
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Princeton
Princeton tops the list for the best athletic Ivy of the past decade. The Tigers have won 24 NCAA national championships in various sports, the most among the Ivies and the ninth-most among all Division I schools.
They have also won 174 Ivy League titles and 38 Ivy League postseason titles in the past 10 years.
Princeton has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in several sports, such as field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, squash, and swimming and diving.
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Harvard
Harvard comes in second for the best athletic Ivy of the past decade.
The Crimson have won eight NCAA national championships in various sports, including men’s ice hockey, women’s rowing, men’s fencing, and men’s squash.
They have also won 113 Ivy League titles and 23 Ivy League postseason titles in the past 10 years.
Harvard has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in several sports, such as basketball, football, ice hockey, rowing, soccer, squash, and wrestling.
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Yale
Yale ranks third for the best athletic Ivy of the past decade.
The Bulldogs have won six NCAA national championships in various sports, including men’s ice hockey, women’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, and women’s golf. They have also won 79 Ivy League titles and 19 Ivy League postseason titles in the past 10 years.
Yale has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in several sports, such as ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, sailing, and squash.
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Penn
Penn ranks fourth for the best athletic Ivy of the past decade.
The Quakers have won two NCAA national championships in various sports, including women’s lacrosse and women’s rowing.
They have also won 75 Ivy League titles and 16 Ivy League postseason titles in the past 10 years.
Penn has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in several sports, such as basketball, cross country, lacrosse, rowing, and track and field.
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Cornell
Cornell ranks fifth for the best athletic Ivy of the past decade.
The Big Red have won one NCAA national championship in various sports, which was men’s lacrosse in 2009.
They have also won 69 Ivy League titles and nine Ivy League postseason titles in the past 10 years.
Cornell has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in several sports, such as ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, and sailing.
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Dartmouth
Dartmouth ranks sixth for the best athletic Ivy of the past decade.
The Big Green have not won any NCAA national championships in any sport in the past 10 years.
They have also won 54 Ivy League titles and seven Ivy League postseason titles in the past 10 years.
Dartmouth has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in several sports, such as cross country, skiing, soccer, and rugby.
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Columbia
Columbia ranks seventh for the best athletic Ivy of the past decade.
The Lions have not won any NCAA national championships in any sport in the past 10 years.
They have also won 37 Ivy League titles and four Ivy League postseason titles in the past 10 years.
Columbia has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in several sports, such as cross country, fencing, golf, and track and field.
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Brown
Brown ranks eighth for the best athletic Ivy of the past decade.
The Bears have not won any NCAA national championships in any sport in the past 10 years.
They have also won 36 Ivy League titles and three Ivy League postseason titles in the past 10 years.
Brown has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in several sports, such as soccer, rowing, sailing, and water polo.
Conclusion
While Ivy League schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, their commitment to need-based aid underscores their dedication to academic integrity and inclusion.
The blend of academic prowess and competitive sportsmanship defines Ivy League excellence, fostering well-rounded individuals ready to make a lasting impact.
Ultimately, the best Ivy League school for you is the one that matches your academic interests, personal goals, and fit.