Men’s college water polo offers scholarship opportunities at NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 schools. While funding varies by program, many schools are eager to invest in athletes who can make a strong impact on their teams. Although Ivy League institutions and Division 3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, they do offer merit-based scholarships for student-athletes who excel both in the classroom and in their sport.
This section breaks down the scholarship opportunities at each division level, shares tips for how to get a water polo scholarship, explains the NCAA eligibility requirements and ranks the top schools for men’s water polo scholarships.
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NEW NCAA MEN’S WATER POLO SCHOLARSHIP LIMITS
Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, the NCAA eliminated most D1 scholarship limits, enabling all sports to distribute scholarships more flexibly among athletes. This change is expected to have a significant impact on college water polo recruiting. More details and the latest updates here.
These changes impact men’s water polo recruits in the following ways:
- D1 men’s water polo programs will be allowed to offer 24 scholarships, up from the current limit of 4.5.
- D1 men’s water polo will have a maximum roster limit of 24.
- D1 water polo is already an equivalency sport and will continue to offer both partial and full scholarships to recruits.
Note: These are the maximum scholarship and roster limits set by the NCAA, but schools aren’t required to meet these maximums.
How many scholarships are permitted per team in men’s water polo?
| Division Level | Number of Teams | Total Athletes | Average Team Size | Current Scholarship Limit | 2025-26 Scholarship Limit* | 2025-26 Roster Limit | Scholarship Type |
| NCAA D1 | 26 | 656 | 25.2 | 4.5 | 24 | 24 | Equivalency |
| NCAA D2 | 8 | 179 | 22.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | N/A | Equivalency |
| NCAA D3 | 16 | 321 | 20.1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| CCCAA | 38 | 566 | 17 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
How to get athletic scholarships for men’s water polo
College coaches generally award scholarship money to positions that directly impact the scoring of the game and to those who can play multiple positions on offense and defense: goalies and utility players. These positions are widely considered to be the most valuable and sought-after in college water polo, but it takes more than just playing one of these positions to earn a scholarship. NCAA Division 1 and 2 college coaches award scholarships to elite-level, all-star talent that will make an immediate impact on the team’s growth and success in their first season.
Whether a student-athlete plays one of these positions or not, here are a few tips to better the athlete’s chances of getting an athletic scholarship.
- Maintain good grades: College water polo coaches prioritize student-athletes that maintain high academic standing in high school. Student-athletes should research the academic standards at their prospective schools and focus on their NCAA academic eligibility.
- Do your research: Not all water polo programs offer athletic scholarships. Student-athletes should research what programs offer scholarships at the NCAA Division 1 and 2 levels, as well as the NAIA.
- Identify alternatives: Water polo programs have very few athletic scholarships to offer. Student-athletes should look for other forms of aid, such as merit-based scholarships, grants, work-study and other alternatives to cover college costs.
Do D1 water polo athletes get athletic scholarships? Are there full ride water polo college scholarships?
- D1 men’s water polo scholarships per team: 24
- Total # of D1 men’s water polo teams: 26
- Avg. team size: 25.2
Water polo coaches have a pool of scholarship money to distribute among recruits and current players based on the team’s scholarship limit. Starting in the 2025-26 school year, D1 programs will be able to offer up to 24 scholarships per year, a significant increase from the current 4.5 limit. However, due to limited funding, some programs may still offer fewer scholarships than the new maximum.
Full-ride scholarships are rare in water polo, but international athletes often have a better chance of receiving full funding to help cover relocation costs. In the Ivy League, while athletic scholarships aren’t available, students can still receive financial aid through academic scholarships.
NCAA Division 2 men’s water polo scholarships
- D2 water polo scholarships per team: 4.5
- Total # of D2 water polo teams: 8
- Avg. team size: 22.4
NCAA Division 2 programs are allotted the same maximum number of scholarships as Division 1 programs. Division 2 programs also face the same funding challenges as Division 1 programs, which means the number of scholarships actually available varies from program to program.
NCAA Division 3 men’s water polo scholarships
- D3 water polo scholarships per team: 0
- Total # of D3 water polo teams: 16
- Avg. team size: 20.1
Division 3 institutions offer merit-based scholarships, rather than athletic scholarships, to student-athletes who meet certain academic standards. Water polo athletes who are awarded an academic scholarship at a Division 3 schools will likely receive a better financial aid package than athletes who are awarded athletic scholarships at Division 1 and 2 institutions.
Read more scholarship facts here.
CCCAA men’s water polo scholarships
- CCCAA water polo scholarships per team: 0
- Total # of CCCAA water polo teams: 38
- Avg. team size: 17
While California Junior Colleges do not allow athletic programs to award scholarships, these schools generally cost less than four-year institutions. The average cost of tuition and fees at a junior college is nearly $6,000 less than that of a public four-year college.
Insider Tip: Looking for scholarships near you? Explore men’s water polo scholarships by state.
Men’s water polo scholarship requirements
In order to play for an NCAA sponsored program, student-athletes must meet the NCAA’s eligibility requirements to determine their academic eligibility and amateurism status.
The below are factors in determining academic eligibility;
- 16 core course requirements
- Core course GPA
The NCAA takes GPA in the 16 core courses. If the athlete’s GPA meets the NCAA’s core course GPA requirements, then the athlete is eligible to compete.
View the NCAA eligibility requirements for student-athletes.
Understanding scholarship offers and negotiating for the best offer
Water polo is not a heavily funded NCAA sponsored sport, which means scholarship budgets are small, and competition is high. Student-athletes who are not awarded a full-ride or partial scholarship can still earn a spot on the team as a preferred walk-on, recruited walk-on or unrecruited walk-on. With new scholarship and roster limits coming in 2025-26, how walk-ons will be affected is still unclear and may vary by sport and school. To get a better understanding of your chances, it’s important to talk to coaches about their specific plans for walk-ons, as this can vary widely between programs.
Below we briefly describe each of these four different types of offers.
- Full-ride scholarship offer: A full-ride scholarship covers all college costs. Coaches are more likely to distribute partial scholarships to several athletes rather than offering full-ride scholarships to just a few.
- Partial scholarship offer: Partial scholarships vary in amount and can be used to cover the cost of tuition, books, room and board and other fees. Student-athletes who receive an academic scholarship, grant and/or other forms of financial aid in addition to a partial athletic scholarship can combine their funding to cover the cost of college.
- Recruited walk-on (preferred): College coaches who cannot offer athletic scholarships to every athlete can still offer recruits a spot on the roster as a preferred walk-on. This offer guarantees the athlete a spot on the roster but does not provide any financial funding.
- Unrecruited walk-on: Student-athletes who are not offered a spot on the roster can still make the team as a recruited walk-on if the program hosts walk-on tryouts. Athletes must attend and impress the coach during walk-on tryouts in order to make the team.
What colleges offer men’s water polo scholarships
Men’s water polo scholarships are available at many colleges across different NCAA divisions. Division 1 and 2 programs often offer full or partial athletic scholarships to top-performing athletes. Additionally, student-athletes who meet certain academic standards at Ivy League and Division 3 schools may qualify for merit-based scholarships.
To help student-athletes and their families find the best colleges offering men’s water polo scholarships, NCSA has created a Power Rankings report. This report considers various factors such as academics, size, location, and cost to rank college water polo programs. Below is a list of the top 10 NCAA men’s college water polo programs:
- Stanford University
- Princeton University
- Harvard University
- University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of California
- Brown University
- University of Southern California
- University of California – Irvine
- University of California – San Diego
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
See a full list of the top ranked men’s college water polo programs.
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