Why Choose the NAIA?
The NAIA is the ONLY athletic association that serves the interests of small colleges by driving student-athlete enrollment and financial sustainability.
Bottom line / Your bottom line will love the NAIA
- A recent NACUBO study reported net tuition and fee revenue fell by 5.9%.
- In 2023, within NAIA athletics’ department, the average net tuition and fee revenue increased by 1.1%.
- In fact, the average net return within NAIA athletics’ department is $4MM.
Compare your institution’s bottom line to NAIA peers using the NAIA’s Bottom Line Calculator.
Athletics that drive enrollment / Increase enrollment through sports
Increase your athletic enrollment through 29 championship-level sports, JV opportunities, and unique sport offerings.
- According to National Student Clearinghouse, undergrad enrollment grew by 1.2% in fall 2023.
- The average NAIA institution enrollment grew 3.5% in the most recent year.
Strong conferences / Geographic footprints that reduce costs
With 21 conferences, NAIA members benefit from the synergy of a common mission to deliver quality education while promoting high-caliber intercollegiate athletics. NAIA conferences serve the interests of their members by providing fair competition, member leadership, interaction, and support. Find your fit in the NAIA.
Academic emphasis / We take the student portion of student-athlete very seriously
NAIA institutions measure achievement in more than just wins and losses. Academic success throughout the span of the NAIA’s student-athletes college experience is the top priority.
- Entering freshmen have an average GPA of 3.3
- Over 12,000 NAIA student-athletes are selected for the esteemed Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete Award each year
- Over the last two years, NAIA institutions have increased overall retention by 8%
Compete with similar institutions / Align your mission with like institutions
- The NAIA is 82% private and 65% faith-based
- NAIA’s Champions of Character® program focuses on character development, offering resources and programs for coaches and our 83,000 student-athletes
NAIA By the Numbers
| 250 | NAIA members |
| 97 | NAIA football members |
| 21 | NAIA conferences |
| 29 | National championship sports |
Maximizing Your Return on Athletics®
Return on Athletics® is the only resource available to maximize the business performance of NAIA athletic departments. ROA is a decision-making resource that leverages simple and consistent calculations to provide the most complete small college athletics department data available. Learn more about ROA.
ROA Bottom Line Calculator
The ROA Bottom Line Calculator is an interactive tool that shows how an athletics department’s financial performance compares to NAIA peers. In less than a minute, find out how NAIA membership could improve your institution’s bottom line.
NAIA Membership Basics
Learn more about the NAIA's past, present, and future.
NAIA History / A history full of firsts
First to invite HBCUs into membership, first to sponsor both men's and women's championships, first to pass NIL legislation ... the NAIA's history is full of first.
Championships & Sport Sponsorship / Opportunities for postseason play
The NAIA sponsors 29 national championship sports for men and women. Championship sports require 30 sponsoring institutions after two years of invitational status. National Championships are administered by the NAIA National Office.
Champions of Character® / Leading with character-driven intercollegiate athletics
NAIA coaches and administrators embody and teach integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership on and off the field. Since Champions of Character was launched in 2000, NAIA member colleges and universities have made ongoing character education and professional development for coaches, athletics staff and student-athletes a priority.
Return on Athletics® / Compare your data with NAIA peers to identify opportunities
Return on Athletics® (ROA) is the only resource available to maximize the business performance of NAIA athletic departments. Through the collection and analysis of member data, ROA leverages simple and consistent calculations across 250 small colleges and universities to provide the most complete athletics department financial data available. Institutions can compare their data with that of their NAIA peers to identify opportunities to maximize their return on athletics.
ROA Bottom Line Calculator / Find out how membership could improve your bottom line
The NAIA’s ROA Insights Bottom Line Calculator helps you understand how your athletic department’s bottom line compares to your NAIA peers. Enter your average institutional aid, number of student-athletes, cost of attendance, and overall institutional sport expenses to calculate a comparable estimate for your institution. You can also adjust the comparison settings to focus the appraisal on peer NAIA athletic departments.
Financial Aid / Create an athletics program to fit your mission and budget
The NAIA is focused on serving its membership through common-sense regulations where financial aid, eligibility and competition rules are fair, flexible and less burdensome to administer, and institutions have the autonomy to administer athletics as they see fit.
Recruiting in the NAIA / Rules and mentoring that foster recruitment and retention
The NAIA is committed to enriching student-athlete experiences where relationships with coaches are encouraged and unrestricted, diverse voices are valued, and the student-athlete is put first.
Eligibility Center / More than 40,000 students register to become eligible each year
Since opening in 2010, the NAIA Eligibility Center has had hundreds of thousands students register online providing unprecedented visibility and awareness of the opportunities to play intercollegiate sports at NAIA institutions. The exposure gained from partnerships with major testing services and the nation’s more than 20,000 high schools has allowed the center to become a platform for reaching high school student-athletes, their families and coaches on a national scale.
InCred / International academic credential services
InCred credential evaluations assist international students and institutions in determining how international education compares with the U.S. system. Learn how InCred can help you start your U.S. college experience today!
Football Championship Reimbursement / Mitigating the cost of championship travel
Membership Costs / 2024-2025 academic year
NEW Pathways Program / Ongoing support on the path to membership
The NAIA Pathways Program was developed to prepare your athletics department for eventual NAIA membership. There are two pathways to choose from: NAIA-Exploration Pathway for new or emerging athletics departments, or NAIA-Ready Pathway for established programs. Read more about the pathway that fits your institution's situation:
Learn about the NAIA-Exploration Pathway Program.
Learn about the NAIA-Ready Pathway Program.
Ready to join? Request an application now!
How to Become an NAIA Member
Successfully transitioning to the NAIA can be completed in one year, allowing your institution the opportunity to qualify for post-season and awards in your first year of participation.
Schedule your Confidential Consultation
Membership Steps
Primary Cycle Timeline
Applications due to the NAIA National Office
If your institution qualifies, a membership team member will schedule a visit to your campus
Membership Evaluation Team visits campus
COP votes at annual fall meetings; institution notified within 10 days
On-boarding begins
If approved, membership becomes effective
Secondary Cycle Timeline
This cycle is for instiutions that are ready to join the NAIA operationally and from an eligibility standpoint.
Applications due to the NAIA National Office
If your institution qualifies, a membership team member will schedule a visit to your campus
Membership Evaluation Team visits campus
COP votes at annual national convention; institution notified within 10 days
On-boarding begins
If approved, membership becomes effective
Start the Process Today!
If your institution qualifies,
contact the membership team to schedule
a campus visit.
The NAIA Council of Presidents will
vote on your membership.