School subjects and grades for US college
For Australian students, from the NCAA's guides for each state (September 2026)
Work out your GPAWhich subjects count in your state
- VictoriaVCE
- New South WalesHSC
- QueenslandQCE
- South AustraliaSACE
- Western AustraliaWACE
- TasmaniaTCE
- Northern TerritoryNTCE
- Australian Capital TerritoryACT Senior Secondary Certificate
What each level needs
NCAA Division I
- 16 core courses from Year 9 to Year 12
- Core GPA of 2.3 or higher
- Proof you finished school, on time (by December of Year 12)
The NCAA Eligibility Center assesses your school reports. NCAA Division I
NCAA Division II
- 16 core courses from Year 9 to Year 12
- Core GPA of 2.2 or higher
- Proof you finished school
The NCAA Eligibility Center assesses your school reports. NCAA Division II
NCAA Division III
- No NCAA minimum. Each college sets its own entry standards, the same as for any student
- Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center before you play (international students need an Athletics Certification account)
The college decides on admission. D3 colleges don’t offer athletic scholarships. NCAA Division III
NAIA
- A final GPA of 2.3 or higher, or two of these three: GPA of 2.0, top half of your class, ACT 18 or SAT 970
- The GPA is your overall GPA, not just core subjects
- Proof you finished school
International students need an InCred evaluation of their results. Class rank has to come from a letter from your school; ATAR doesn’t count. NAIA eligibility
Junior college (NJCAA)
- Finish school. There’s no minimum GPA to start
- Colleges usually ask for your results from Year 9 to have them evaluated
The college checks your results are equal to a US high school diploma. NJCAA
The 16 core courses, in Year 9 to 12 terms
A core course is one year of an academic subject. Each semester counts as half. Year 9 to Year 12 is eight semesters, so taking English every year already gives you four. Here's a typical path that meets Division I:
| Year | Core subjects | Core courses |
|---|---|---|
| Year 9 | English, Maths, Science, History or Geography (all year) | 4 |
| Year 10 | English, Maths, Science, History or Geography (all year) | 4 |
| Year 11 | English, Maths, plus two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Legal Studies, History or a language | 4 |
| Year 12 | English, plus three academic subjects (Maths is a good idea) | 4 |
| Total | 16 |
The traps are dropping maths after Year 10 (Division I needs three years of it), having only one semester of history or geography in Year 9 and 10, and filling Year 11 and 12 with subjects that don't count, like PE or Health.
| Core courses | Division I | Division II |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 3 |
| Maths | 3 | 2 |
| Science | 2 | 2 |
| Extra English, maths or science | 1 | 3 |
| Social science | 2 | 2 |
| Additional (any of the above, a language, religion or philosophy) | 4 | 4 |
| Total | 16 | 16 |
| Minimum core GPA | 2.3 | 2.2 |
Subjects that don't count
Physical Education and Commerce are named as not approved in every state. Subjects that aren't academic don't count anywhere: art, music, drama and dance, design, technology and food subjects, VET certificates, career and personal development subjects. Each state page lists the other subjects the NCAA has turned down there.
Check before you count on it
The NCAA hasn't ruled on these, so treat them as not counting until it does:
- Business Management or Business Studies
- Health subjects the NCAA hasn’t named for your state
- Religious Education, unless your state’s list names it
- Vague titles like "Humanities" or "General Studies" where your state’s list doesn’t name them
Short of 16?
Under the NCAA's 2026-27 waiver rules, finishing school with at least 13 core courses and a core GPA of 2.8 or higher earns an automatic waiver for Division I and II, if you meet its other conditions. Your college applies for it after the NCAA assesses your results, so you don't apply yourself. NAIA and junior colleges are other routes in.
Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center once you're serious about college. It makes the official decision for the NCAA, and InCred does for the NAIA. These pages help you choose subjects and check you're on track.