There are over 300 colleges with college baseball programs under the NCAA Division 1. With such a large number of D1 baseball schools, it would be hard for prospective students to make a decision on where to apply. As a solution, we have prepared this article on the best D1 baseball schools to aid in your decision-making process, making it smooth and easy.
According to Sports Brief, baseball is top three most popular sports in the United States. It is played at local, national, and international levels at colleges and high schools. If you played baseball in high school, you can continue playing in college while pursuing an academic degree of your choice and you can even study on a scholarship if you meet all the requirements.
Not all colleges have a baseball team, so, if you wish to play the game at the collegiate level then you have to apply to a college with a baseball program. This blog post will expose you to a list of colleges with baseball teams that you can join if you pass the academic and athlete requirements.
Now, all colleges in the US with baseball teams are under three NCAA divisions from Division I to III and you can choose to play under any of them provided you meet the set requirements to enter the school and to join the baseball team. There are over 300 colleges under the NCAA Division 1 that have a baseball team, you can begin making your choice from them.
They are too much for you to start analyzing them one by one, aren’t they? That is why we have published this article of only the best D1 baseball schools for you to make better decisions on where to pursue your academic and sportsmanship careers at the same time.
This list is curated from NCAA, D1baseball, and general academic rankings from US New & World Report Best Colleges. Division 1 baseball schools are among the world’s best and can be highly competitive and selective. If you cannot meet their requirements, then consider applying for a Division two school.
What Is A D1 Baseball School
A D1 baseball school is the divisional baseball category that consists of college baseball teams who compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division 1 level in the US. This level is the most challenging of college baseball. D1 baseball schools are allowed to offer a total of 11.7 full baseball scholarships.
Admission Requirements Into A D1 Baseball School
The requirements for d1 baseball schools are:
- Complete 16 NCAA-approved core courses in high school within 8 semesters
- A minimum GPA of 2.3 or higher based on your core courses
- Submit high school transcripts
- Be involved in extracurricular activities while in high school
- Be in good academic standing
- Obtained a specific minimum SAT or ACT score
Best Division 1 Baseball Colleges
The following are the best d1 baseball schools:
- Stanford University
- The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Yale University
- Duke University
- Columbia University
- Harvard University
- Princeton University
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- The University of Michigan
1. Stanford University
Surprisingly, Stanford University is not one of the Ivy League schools but it is one of the top universities in the world and on par with other Ivy Leagues. It is a private research university in California and is one of the toughest colleges in the world to get into, highly selective, and highly competitive. Over 56,000 students apply to Stanford annually but only 4% of applicants are accepted which makes it one of the universities with lowest acceptance rates.
Stanford University has a baseball team under the NCAA Division I and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, and Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference. The baseball team comprises one head coach and three assistant coaches. Scholarships are available to qualifying student-athletes.
2. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
UCLA is the dream college of many aspiring regular students and student-athletes. The school has a reputable baseball team under the NCAA Division 1 and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The team, UCLA Bruins, has appeared in 5 College World Series and won the 2013 National Championship. 91 former UCLA baseball players have made it to the major leagues.
UCLA Bruins is led by one head coach and three assistant coaches. Scholarships are available to student-athletes who qualify.
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology or Georgia Tech, as it is commonly referred to, is a prestigious public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. The institution offers academic degrees at undergraduate and graduate levels and they are technologically focused. When it comes to sports, the college is recognized for baseball, ranking at No.16 in Collegiate Baseball Rankings.
The baseball team at Georgia Tech, Yellow Jacket has won 19 conference champions. The Yellow Jackets is under the NCAA Division I and one of the 4 members of the Atlantic Coast Conference to earn multiple selections and one of just 13 overall in D1.
4. Yale University
Yale University is one of the Ivy League Schools as well as one of the world’s most prestigious universities. It is highly selective and competitive with an acceptance rate of 5.3% and a minimum GPA of 3.8 on a scale of 4.0. If you are looking to play baseball at Yale as a student-athlete, then you must satisfy the typical academic entry requirements to enable you to get in and then make the team.
The Yale University baseball team, Yale Bulldogs, won the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award for 2021-22. Yale Bulldogs is under the NCAA Division I and a member of the Ivy League and ECAC Conferences. If you have an interest in playing baseball at Yale, you will fill out an online recruiting form with a copy of your high school transcript and a link to a video of you playing. Yale Bulldogs are guided by one head coach and three assistant coaches
5. Duke University
Duke University is one of the best d1 baseball schools, highly competitive and selective to get into with a minimum GPA requirement of 3.7 or higher on a scale of 4.0 and a low acceptance rate of 5.9%. The university has a baseball program known as the Blue Devils that earned the 2020-21 American Baseball Coaches Association’s Team Academic Excellence Award.
The Blue Devils are under the NCAA Division I and a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The baseball team is led by a head coach, two assistant coaches, a director of operations, a pitching coach, and a director of player development. Student-athletes have a shot at getting a scholarship to fund their education while playing baseball games.
6. Columbia University
Columbia University is one of the Ivy League schools, this means that they are widely recognized both in sports and academics. If you want to enter Columbia University as a student-athlete, then you need to excel both academically and sports-wise. Entry into this school is very competitive and selective with an acceptance rate of 4% and a minimum requirement of 3.0 GPA or higher.
The baseball team at Columbia University is a member of the Ivy League under the NCAA Division I. According to NYpost, the team has the longest winning streak. Athletic scholarships are offered to students playing baseball at the college on the basis of need and good academic standing.
7. Harvard University
Harvard University is unarguably the world’s best university as ranked by the US News & World Report, The Princeton Review, QS World Ranking, and many other ranking platforms. It is one of the Ivy Leagues, thus, has a national and international reputation in both academic quality and sports. Getting into Harvard is selective and highly competitive just like the other schools on this list. You have to meet the minimum requirement to stay above the competition.
The college has a baseball team that you can join if you have what it takes to be part of the team. The baseball team is one of the best in the NCAA Division I having earned the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award for 6 straight years for its academic achievement.
8. Princeton University
Princeton University, a world-leading private research university, is another Ivy League member of the NCAA Division I. You can play baseball at Princeton if you meet the academic requirements and pass other eligibility requirements laid out by the coach for you to join the team. Entry into this school isn’t an easy one to begin with, the selection process is tough and admission is highly competitive.
So, if you are looking to play baseball at Princeton you must be in good academic standing. Scholarships are available for student-athletes and they are awarded based on need and academic excellence. The team is led by an assistant coach and a head coach.
9. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
UNC at Chapel Hill is one of the best d1 baseball schools, recognized for winning the ACC Tournament and hosting an NCAA Tournament Regional and Super Regional in 2021. The baseball team, Tar Heels, is under the NCAA Division I and a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Those with an interest to play baseball at UNC must be in good academic standing, this can also help them qualify for scholarships.
10. The University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public university founded in 1817. The college has a baseball team under the NCAA Division 1 and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team has won many championships that have made them recognized among the list of best d1 baseball schools. The baseball team is led by a head coach, an associate head coach, and a pitching coach. Scholarships are offered to student-athletes who qualify.
Now that the list has been cut down to the best 10, you can easily decide on which of the schools to apply to and play baseball while pursuing your academic degree.