What are DIII Schools? A Complete List by State

What’s Covered:

• What’s the Difference Between the NCAA Divisions?
• Complete List of Division III Colleges
• How to Find the Best College For You
• What Are Your Chances of Acceptance

Division III athletics allow college students to compete at a high level without sports dominating the college experience. Division III is the NCAA’s largest division with around 450 member institutions of which most are private. The enrollment rates range from a few hundred to over 30,000 students so you definitely won’t have the same experience at all division III schools. 

Below we’ve listed all colleges that compete in division III athletics. We hope this is useful as you’re searching for the perfect school!

What’s the Difference Between the NCAA Divisions?

What’s the NCAA?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a member-driven organization that supports learning through the integration of sports and higher education. The NCAA is made of colleges and universities along with single and multi-sport conferences, plus other affiliated groups. Intra-university leadership work together to create rules that ensure safety, fairness, and success in the long term for student athletes.

Why have divisions?

The NCAA stratifies each university by the amount of available resources. The more resources a school has, the lower division it will be i. e. University of Illinois has vast resources as a land grant university so it is a D1 school whereas a smaller, private institution like Trinity College in Connecticut is DIII. The strata (D1, DII, and DIII schools) each have tournaments and conferences where they play against similarly ranked schools. This is so a university with a two billion dollar endowment doesn’t play against a team with significantly fewer resources. 

Divisions ensure a competitive playing field in college sports. Division 1 athletes compete at the highest level followed by division II and III (not to say it isn’t competitive). 

Complete List of Division III Colleges by State

Because DIII schools are the smaller colleges in a state, they are often private institutions; however, some DIII colleges are public. Because a majority of DIII schools are on the east coast, in states like New York and Pennsylvania, students in the Midwest or South may have to travel further for games and conferences. Below are all the DIII colleges listed by state:

Alabama

• Birmingham-Southern College
• Huntingdon College

Arkansas

• Hendrix College
• University of the Ozarks (Arkansas)

California

• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• California Lutheran University
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps Colleges
• Mills College
• Occidental College
• Pomona-Pitzer Colleges
• University of California, Santa Cruz (Public)
• University of La Verne
• University of Redlands
• Whittier College

Colorado

• Colorado College

Connecticut

• Albertus Magnus College
• Connecticut College
• Eastern Connecticut State University (Public)
• Mitchell College
• Trinity College (Connecticut)
• U.S. Coast Guard Academy (Public)
• University of Saint Joseph (Connecticut)
• Wesleyan University (Connecticut)
• Western Connecticut State University (Public)

District of Columbia

• Catholic University
• Gallaudet University
• Trinity Washington University

Delaware

• Wesley College

Georgia

• Agnes Scott College
• Berry College
• Covenant College
• Emory University
• LaGrange College
• Oglethorpe University
• Piedmont College
• Wesleyan College (Georgia)

Iowa

• Buena Vista University
• Central College (Iowa)
• Coe College
• Cornell College
• Grinnell College
• Iowa Wesleyan University
• Loras College
• Luther College
• Simpson College
• University of Dubuque
• Wartburg College

Illinois

• Augustana College (Illinois)
• Aurora University
• Benedictine University (Illinois)
• Blackburn College
• Concordia University Chicago
• Dominican University (Illinois)
• Elmhurst College
• Eureka College
• Greenville University
• Illinois College
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Knox College
• Lake Forest College
• Millikin University
• Monmouth College (Illinois)
• North Central College
• North Park University
• Principia College
• Rockford University
• University of Chicago
• Wheaton College (Illinois)

Indiana

• Anderson University (Indiana)
• DePauw University
• Earlham College
• Franklin College
• Hanover College
• Manchester University
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• Saint Mary’s College (Indiana)
• Trine University
• Wabash College

Kentucky

• Berea College
• Centre College
• Spalding University
• Transylvania University

Louisiana

• Centenary College (Louisiana)
• Louisiana College

Massachusetts

• Amherst College
• Anna Maria College
• Babson College
• Bay Path University
• Becker College
• Brandeis University
• Bridgewater State University
• Clark University (Massachusetts)
• Curry College
• Dean College
• Eastern Nazarene College
• Elms College
• Emerson College
• Emmanuel College (Massachusetts)
• Endicott College
• Fitchburg State University (Public)
• Framingham State University
• Gordon College
• Lasell College
• Lesley University
• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (Public)
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Public)
• Mount Holyoke College
• Nichols College
• Pine Manor College
• Regis College (Massachusetts)
• Salem State University (Public)
• Simmons University
• Smith College
• Springfield College
• Suffolk University
• Tufts University
• University of Massachusetts Boston (Public)
• University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (Public)
• Wellesley College
• Wentworth Institute of Technology
• Western New England University
• Westfield State University (Public)
• Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
• Williams College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Worcester State University

Maryland

• Frostburg State University (Public)
• Goucher College
• Hood College
• Johns Hopkins University
• McDaniel College
• Notre Dame of Maryland University
• Salisbury University (Public)
• St. Mary’s College of Maryland (Public)
• Stevenson University
• Washington College (Maryland) 

Maine

• Bates College
• Bowdoin College
• Colby College
• Husson University
• Maine Maritime Academy (Public)
• Saint Joseph’s College (Maine)
• Thomas College
• University of Maine at Presque Isle (Public)
• University of Maine, Farmington (Public)
• University of New England
• University of Southern Maine (Public)

Michigan

• Adrian College
• Albion College
• Alma College
• Calvin College
• Finlandia University
• Hope College
• Kalamazoo College
• Olivet College

Minnesota

• Augsburg University
• Bethany Lutheran College
• Bethel University (Minnesota)
• Carleton College
• College of Saint Benedict
• Concordia College, Moorhead
• Crown College (Minnesota)
• Gustavus Adolphus College
• Hamline University
• Macalester College
• Martin Luther College
• North Central University
• Saint John’s University (Minnesota)
• Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
• St. Catherine University
• St. Olaf College
• The College of St. Scholastica
• University of Minnesota, Morris (Public)
• University of Northwestern–St. Paul
• University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)

Missouri

• Fontbonne University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Webster University
• Westminster College (Missouri)

Mississippi

• Belhaven University
• Millsaps College
• Mississippi University for Women (Public)

North Carolina

• Brevard College
• Greensboro College
• Guilford College
• Meredith College
• Methodist University
• North Carolina Wesleyan College
• Pfeiffer University
• Salem College (North Carolina)
• Warren Wilson College
• William Peace University

Nebraska

• Nebraska Wesleyan University

New Hampshire

• Colby-Sawyer College
• Keene State College (Public)
• New England College
• Plymouth State University (Public)
• Rivier University

New Jersey

• Centenary College (New Jersey)
• Drew University
• Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham
• Kean University (Public)
• Montclair State University (Public)
• New Jersey City University (Public)
• Ramapo College (Public)
• Rowan University (Public)
• Rutgers, The State Univ. of New Jersey, Camden (Public)
• Rutgers, The State Univ. of New Jersey, Newark (Public)
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Stockton University (Public)
• The College of New Jersey (Public)
• William Paterson University of New Jersey (Public)

New York

• Alfred State College (Public)
• Alfred University
• Bard College
• Baruch College (Public)
• Brooklyn College (Public)
• Buffalo State, State University of New York (Public)
• Cazenovia College
• Clarkson University
• College of Mount Saint Vincent
• College of Staten Island (Public)
• D’Youville College 
• Elmira College
• Farmingdale State College (Public)
• Hamilton College
• Hartwick College
• Hilbert College
• Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• Houghton College
• Hunter College (Public)
• Ithaca College
• John Jay College of Criminal Justice (Public)
• Keuka College
• Lehman College (Public)
• Manhattanville College
• Medaille College
• Medgar Evers College (Public)
• Morrisville State College (Public)
• Mount Saint Mary College (New York)
• Nazareth College
• New York University
• Plattsburgh State University of New York
• Pratt Institute
• Purchase College, State University of New York
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Russell Sage College
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Skidmore College
• St. John Fisher College
• St. Joseph’s College (Brooklyn)
• St. Joseph’s College (Long Island)
• St. Lawrence University
• State University College at Old Westbury (Public)
• State University of New York at Brockport (Public)
• State University of New York at Canton (Public)
• State University of New York at Cobleskill (Public)
• State University of New York at Cortland (Public)
• State University of New York at Delhi (Public)
• State University of New York at Geneseo (Public)
• State University of New York at New Paltz (Public)
• State University of New York at Oneonta (Public)
• State University of New York at Oswego (Public)
• State University of New York at Potsdam (Public)
• State University of New York Maritime College (Public)
• State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (Public)
• The City College of New York (Public)
• The State University of New York at Fredonia (Public)
• U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Public)
• Union College (New York)
• University of Rochester
• Utica College
• Vassar College
• Wells College
• Yeshiva University
• York College (New York) (Public)

Ohio

• Baldwin Wallace University
• Bluffton University
• Capital University
• Case Western Reserve University
• Defiance College
• Denison University
• Franciscan University of Steubenville
• Heidelberg University
• Hiram College
• John Carroll University
• Kenyon College
• Marietta College
• Mount St. Joseph University
• Muskingum University
• Oberlin College
• Ohio Northern University
• Ohio Wesleyan University
• Otterbein University
• The College of Wooster
• University of Mount Union
• Wilmington College (Ohio)
• Wittenberg University

Oregon

• George Fox University
• Lewis & Clark College
• Linfield College
• Pacific University (Oregon)
• Willamette University

Pennsylvania

• Albright College
• Allegheny College
• Alvernia University
• Arcadia University
• Bryn Athyn College
• Bryn Mawr College
• Cabrini University
• Cairn University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Cedar Crest College
• Chatham University
• Clarks Summit University
• Delaware Valley University
• DeSales University
• Dickinson College
• Eastern University
• Elizabethtown College
• Franklin & Marshall College
• Geneva College
• Gettysburg College
• Grove City College
• Gwynedd Mercy University
• Haverford College
• Immaculata University
• Juniata College
• Keystone College
• King’s College (Pennsylvania)
• La Roche College
• Lancaster Bible College
• Lebanon Valley College
• Lycoming College
• Marywood University
• Messiah University
• Misericordia University
• Moravian College
• Mount Aloysius College
• Muhlenberg College
• Neumann University
• Penn State Berks College (Public)
• Penn State Harrisburg (Public)
• Penn State University, Abington (Public)
• Penn State University, Altoona (Public)
• Pennsylvania College of Technology (Public)
• Pennsylvania State Univ. Erie, the Behrend College (Public)
• Rosemont College
• Saint Vincent College
• Susquehanna University
• Swarthmore College
• Thiel College
• University of Pittsburgh, Bradford (Public)
• University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg (Public)
• University of Scranton
• University of Valley Forge
• Ursinus College
• Washington and Jefferson College
• Waynesburg University
• Westminster College (Pennsylvania)
• Widener University
• Wilkes University
• Wilson College
• York College (Pennsylvania)

Rhode Island

• Johnson & Wales University (Providence)
• Rhode Island College (Public)
• Roger Williams University
• Salve Regina University

South Carolina

• Bob Jones University 

Tennessee

• Maryville College (Tennessee)
• Rhodes College
• University of the South

Texas

• Austin College
• Concordia University Texas
• East Texas Baptist University
• Hardin-Simmons University
• Howard Payne University
• LeTourneau University
• McMurry University
• Schreiner University
• Southwestern University (Texas)
• Sul Ross State University
• Texas Lutheran University
• The University of Texas at Tyler (Public)
• Trinity University (Texas)
• University of Dallas
• University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
• University of St. Thomas (Texas)
• University of Texas at Dallas

Virginia

• Averett University
• Bridgewater College (Virginia)
• Christopher Newport University (Public)
• Eastern Mennonite University
• Emory and Henry College
• Ferrum College
• Hampden-Sydney College
• Hollins University
• Lynchburg University
• Mary Baldwin University
• Marymount University (Virginia)
• Randolph College
• Randolph-Macon College
• Roanoke College
• Shenandoah University
• Southern Virginia University
• Sweet Briar College
• University of Lynchburg
• University of Mary Washington (Public)
• Virginia Wesleyan College
• Washington and Lee University

Vermont

• Castleton University (Public)
• Middlebury College
• Northern Vermont University–Johnson (Public)
• Northern Vermont University–Lyndon (Public)
• Norwich University

Washington

• Pacific Lutheran University
• University of Puget Sound
• Whitman College
• Whitworth University

Wisconsin

• Alverno College
• Beloit College
• Carroll University (Wisconsin)
• Carthage College
• Concordia University Wisconsin
• Edgewood College
• Lakeland University
• Lawrence University
• Maranatha Baptist University
• Marian University (Wisconsin)
• Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Mount Mary University
• Northland College
• Ripon College
• St. Norbert College
• University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (Public)
• University of Wisconsin–La Crosse (Public)
• University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (Public)
• University of Wisconsin–Platteville (Public)
• University of Wisconsin–River Falls (Public)
• University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (Public)
• University of Wisconsin–Stout (Public)
• University of Wisconsin–Superior (Public)
• University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (Public)
• Wisconsin Lutheran College

West Virginia

• Bethany College (West Virginia)

How to Find the Best College For You

Athletics is just one piece in the college selection cake. The cake includes factors like extracurricular activities, selection of majors, professors, and location. You should ask yourself questions like: Do you want to go to school with harsh winters or no winters at all? Do you want to go to school with 40,000 students or just a few hundred? How long do you want your morning walk to class to be: two minutes or 20? Below are important questions to answer once you’ve found a school you’re interested in.

Location

• Do you want to go to a DIII college close to home?
• Are you prepared for cold winters?
• How important is being close to the beach?
• Is the urban life for you, or do you prefer to be hidden behind fields or meadows or grazing cattle?

Academics

• Do you know what you want to major in, and does this DIII school offer that?
• If you don’t know what you want to major in, are there fields of study that seem interesting? Take a look at some of the classes offered.
• Does the academic rigor match how much you want to be challenged?
• Would you be happy with a degree from this university?

Extracurriculars

• How many clubs does this university offer? Are there ones that seem interesting?
• Does this school have your favorite sport? What about intramurals?
• Is there an academic student group for your selected major?
• What does the dorm life look like?

Everyday Life

• Do you want a close-knit campus or one that you can get lost in?
• Are there professors that are doing intriguing research?
• Can you get a job close to campus?
• What is transportation like? Is there a bike path, bus system, etc.?

It is crucial to answer these questions as you’re making your college selection. Universities vie to satisfy the needs of all their students, but no university is perfect. It’s more about personal fit. You may not like the dorms, the dining hall food, and you really might not like your roommate, but other factors of the university can outweigh this! Prioritizing what is important to you, like location and major selection, will redress the smaller things like an imperfect roommate.

If you’re looking for a DIII school, you may want to consider things like access to events, students discounts at games, and opportunities to get close to the action. Many schools have student clubs that travel with the sport teams to their away games. You can be a part of the action, giving an ostensible home field advantage. 

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

The first step is getting accepted, before making your decision. If you’re unsure which school you want to attend or what your odds are of getting accepted, CollegeVine is here to help.

Our free chancing engine uses a myriad of inputs and factors to estimate your odds of success in your college applications. Our school exploration tool helps you explore hundreds of schools. You can search using filters like:  DIII athletics, specific conferences, and location. Make an account with us to find your dream school!