The US state of Florida has nine NAIA colleges and they have all been highlighted in this post with the type of sports they play and how you can join any of the athletic teams as a student-athlete.
There are more than 170 universities and colleges in the sunny state of Florida if you are looking to earn a degree. The schools are widely recognized for their world-class academic offerings in teaching and research. Whether you are looking for an art program in Florida or an online college in the sunny state to earn a degree at your convenience, the state has got all you need for a quality academic experience.
In order not to miss out on its unique academic experience, students from different parts of the world are enrolled in the culinary schools in Florida to gain professional cooking skills or aspire to pursue a medical degree at one of the medical colleges in the state. This goes to show how outstanding the academic quality is here.
If you have always been an athletic student right from high school, always involved in sporting competitions, events, and the likes, and would like to keep up the passion while earning a degree at one of the prestigious universities in Florida then you have just made the best decisions ever. Yes, you can be a student-athlete involved in your favorite sports and still follow up on your academics.
Thanks to the NAIA, this is possible in more than 250 colleges in the United States and it so happens that there are up to 9 of these NAIA colleges in Florida. This presents an opportunity to high school graduates in Florida as they can easily apply to one of these colleges and pursue two careers at the same time – sports and degree of their choice – while on a scholarship of up to $7,000 or higher to fund their education.
Other soccer scholarships in the US are not NAIA sponsored but for this, you have to be playing only soccer.
The NAIA which stands for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is a collegiate athletics association for small colleges and universities in North America that oversees more than 77,000 student-athletes from over 250 colleges in the US and offers up to $800 million in scholarships annually.
The NAIA is an association that merges with some schools to assist student-athletes, as well as, offer them opportunities to display their sports talent while getting a degree.
Students who apply for one of the NAIA schools in Florida as student-athletes will have diversified opportunities after graduation. They can either decide to keep playing or enter the workforce with their degree. The association sponsors and conducts 14 sports and 28 annual championships.
You can apply for any of the 9 NAIA schools in Florida or anywhere in the US if you play the following sports:
- Baseball
- Bowling
- Competitive cheer
- Competitive dance
- Cross country
- Football
- Lacrosse
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Indoor and outdoor track
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
All of these sports are offered in male, female, and coed categories.
Also, the NAIA is so big in the US that major sports channels air the championships on live TV, this presents an opportunity for you to showcase your talents and get signed by big teams immediately after your college education.
The association, as well as, the students and colleges involved live up to five core values which are integrity, respect, responsibilities, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.
How To Get Into NAIA Schools in Florida
There are certain requirements that you must meet to get accepted into any of the NAIA colleges in Florida but first, you must have a track record of playing one of the sports listed above and be applying for a degree program at one of the NAIA schools, then go ahead to satisfy the others below:
- You must have completed high school or be accepted as a regular student in good standing at the enrolling institution.
- Meet two out of three entry-level academic requirements below:
- Test score: minimum score of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT (critical reading & math section only); or
- Minimum overall high school GPA of 2.0 on a scale of 4.0; or
- Class rank – top 50% of high school graduating class.
- Must be making normal progress towards a bachelor’s degree
- Must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours
- May only compete during four seasons
- May only compete during his/her first 10 semesters/15 quarters
- Must meet transfer eligibility requirements (if applicable)
- Complete NAIA official eligibility certificate and NAIA certificate of clearance to compete.
To learn more and apply, click here.
9 NAIA Schools In Florida
The following are the NAIA colleges in Florida and their details further below with appropriate links you can follow to learn more and kick start your application.
- Ave Maria University
- Thomas University
- Keiser University
- Webber International University
- Warner University
- Florida College
- Florida National University
- Florida Memorial University
- Southeastern University
1. Ave Maria University
On my first list of NAIA universities in Florida where male and female student-athletes can play a sport of their choice while studying for a degree is Ave Maria University. A Roman Catholic university that is a member of the NAIA and The Sun Conference. The nickname of the male athletic team is Gyrenes while the females are called Lady Gyrenes and they have won a total of 201 scholar-athlete awards.
The university also has an abundance of sports for male and female categories, they are:
- Baseball (men only)
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Volleyball (women only)
- Indoor track & field
- Outdoor track & field
- Soccer
- Swimming/diving
- Women’s beach volleyball
- Tennis
- Competitive dance
- Lacrosse (women only)
- Softball (women only)
- Ultimate frisbee (men only)
2. St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University is one of the NAIA universities in Miami Gardens, Florida with 460 scholar-athlete awards. It is a catholic school under The Sun Conference offering many varieties of sports activities in male and female categories. The sports here are:
- Baseball (men only)
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Outdoor track & field
- Soccer
- Swimming/diving
- Tennis
- Wrestling
- Lacrosse (women only)
- Softball (women only)
- Volleyball (women only)
- Beach volleyball (women only)
Cheerleading, dance, and eSports are in the coed sports category.
If you want to be one of the Bobcats, follow the link below and begin your registration.
3. Keiser University
Keiser University in West Palm Beach Florida is a member of the NAIA collegiate universities in Florida and also a member of The Sun Conference. The university has 427 scholar-athlete awards and a wide range of sports in men’s and women’s categories. The sports are:
- Baseball (men only)
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Indoor track & field
- Lacrosse
- Outdoor track & field
- Volleyball (women only)
- Soccer
- Swimming/diving
- Tennis
- Wrestling
- Softball (women only)
You can play any of these sports at Keiser University while studying for a degree program of your choice.
4. Webber International University
Webber International University is a prestigious university in Babson Park and one of the NAIA universities in Florida where you can pursue an academic degree while playing sports. The Warriors and Lady Warriors have won up to 241 scholar-athlete awards and you can join them if you play any of the sports below:
- Baseball (men only)
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Indoor track & field
- Cheerleading (women only)
- Lacrosse
- Outdoor track & field
- Volleyball
- Bowling
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Women’s beach volleyball
- Softball (women only
5. Warner University
Warner University is one of the NAIA schools in Florida offering varieties of academic degree programs with some of the most popular sports in the country to attract students from all parts of the state. The university has won 231 scholar-athlete awards and you can be part of the Royals if you play any of the following sports:
- Baseball (men only)
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Indoor track & field
- Lacrosse (women only)
- Outdoor track & field
- Volleyball
- Flag football (women only)
- Soccer
- Beach volleyball (women only)
- Clay target team
- Competitive cheer & dance (women only)
- Tennis
- Softball (women only
6. Florida College
Florida College in Temple Terrace, FL is one of the NAIA colleges in the US and a member of the Continental Athletic Conference with only 31 scholar-athlete awards. Very few sports are played here compared to the other NAIA colleges in Florida.
If you want to be a part of the Falcons or Lady Falcons you must fulfill the entry requirements to pursue an academic degree at the college and be playing one of the sports below:
- Cross country
- Basketball (men only)
- Golf
- Outdoor track & field
- Cheerleading (women only)
- Soccer
- Volleyball (women only)
7. Florida National University
The seventh NAIA university in Florida is the Florida National University which is also a member of the Continental Athletic Conference. The Conquistadors, as their team is referred to, have won 51 scholar-athlete awards.
Just like the Florida College above, there are not many sports activities here. The sports are basketball, outdoor track & field, soccer, tennis, softball (women only), cross country, baseball (men only), and women’s volleyball.
8. Florida Memorial University
Florida Memorial University is a member of the NAIA collegiates in the US and The Sun Conference. The Lions have won 125 scholar-athlete awards and offer varieties of sports in men’s and women’s categories. The sports for men are:
- Basketball
- Football
- Indoor track and field
- Outdoor track and field
- Soccer
- Competitive cheer
The sports for women are:
- Basketball
- Indoor track & field
- Outdoor track & field
- Soccer
- Softball
- Volleyball
- Competitive cheer
- Beach volleyball
- Flag football
9. Southeastern University
This is the final NAIA college in Florida. It is located in Lakeland and is also a member of The Sun Conference. The university offers a wide range of attractive degree programs as well as many sports activities in the men’s and women’s categories ranging from tennis and wrestling to basketball and golf.
And these are the 9 NAIA colleges in Florida for student-athletes to apply for and keep playing their favorite sports while studying for a degree.
NAIA Schools in Florida – FAQs
[sc_fs_faq html=”true” headline=”h3″ img=”” question=”How many NAIA schools are in Florida?” img_alt=”” css_class=””] There are 9 NAIA schools in Florida. [/sc_fs_faq]