As Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the NCAA celebrates the impact and growing presence of Hispanic/Latino student-athletes. Their influence can be seen across all three divisions and in nearly every sport, with their overall participation numbers climbing 62% over the past decade.
The figures below, drawn from NCAA research’s demographics and sports sponsorship and participation dashboards, highlight the continued rise and achievements of Hispanic/Latino student-athletes across the Association.
Growth in Hispanic/Latino student-athlete participation
In 2024-25, there were 38,654 Hispanic/Latino student-athletes, making up 7% of the total student-athlete population. That’s a one-year increase of 1,700 athletes (4.6%) from 2023-24. Over the past decade, participation has increased by 14,792 student-athletes (62%).
Totals by division
- Division I: 11,758 (5.8% of Division I; 30.4% of all Hispanic/Latino student-athletes).
- Division II: 10,984 (7.8%; 28.4%).
- Division III: 15,912 (7.1%; 41.2%).
Top sports by total number of Hispanic/Latino student-athletes
Men’s sports:
- Soccer: 4,680.
- Football: 3,963.
- Baseball: 3,488.
- Outdoor track and field: 2,393.
- Indoor track and field: 2,036.
Women’s sports:
- Soccer: 2,927.
- Softball: 2,154.
- Outdoor track and field: 2,108.
- Indoor track and field: 1,842.
- Volleyball: 1,330.
Sports with the highest percentage of Hispanic/Latino student-athletes
Men’s sports (percentage of total participation):
- Soccer: 16.5%.
- Volleyball: 11.6%.
- Wrestling: 9.9%.
- Water polo: 9.6%.
- Tennis: 8.6%.
Women’s sports (percentage of total participation):
- Wrestling: 18.8%.
- Water polo: 13.9%.
- Softball: 9.9%.
- Soccer: 9.5%.
- Tennis: 8.1%.
Sports with the biggest percentage growth*
One-year growth (2024-25 vs. 2023-24):
Men’s sports, percentage growth
- Ice hockey: 16.1%.
- Golf: 13.7%.
- Water polo: 12.4%.
Men’s sports, total participant growth
- Soccer: 218.
- Football: 156.
- Indoor track and field: 139.
Women’s sports, percentage growth
- Wrestling: 48.3%.
- Acrobatics and tumbling: 19.5%.
- Field hockey: 17.5%.
Women’s sports, total participant growth
- Indoor track and field: 122.
- Wrestling: 101.
- Outdoor track and field: 99.
Five-year growth (2024-25 vs. 2019-20):
Men’s sports, percentage growth
- Golf: 45.9%.
- Indoor track and field: 44.7%.
- Ice hockey: 41.2%.
Men’s sports, total participant growth
- Soccer: 966.
- Football: 743.
- Baseball: 715.
Women’s sports, percentage growth
- Gymnastics: 85.5%.
- Field hockey: 62.4%.
- Beach volleyball: 42.1%.
Women’s sports, total participant growth
- Soccer: 474.
- Indoor track and field: 392.
- Outdoor track and field: 337.
10-year growth (2024-25 vs. 2014-15):
Men’s sports, percentage growth
- Volleyball: 102.6%
- Lacrosse: 101.4%.
- Wrestling: 87%.
Men’s sports, total participant growth
- Soccer: 1,972.
- Baseball: 1,398.
- Football: 1,341.
Women’s sports, percentage growth
- Beach volleyball: 191.9%.
- Field hockey: 155%.
- Lacrosse: 105.9%
Women’s sports, total participant growth
- Soccer: 1,205.
- Indoor track and field: 824.
- Softball: 784.
* Only sports with more than 50 Hispanic/Latino student-athletes are included to determine the percentage growth in all categories. Women’s wrestling, for example, increased from three participants in 2015 to 34 participants in 2020 and 310 participants in 2025, for a five-year increase of 811.8% and a 10-year increase of 10,233.3%.
Graduation Success Rates
Hispanic/Latino student-athletes continue to excel academically, with a Division I Graduation Success Rate of 89%, an increase of 25 percentage points from the first year of GSR data in 2002 and 7 percentage points since 2014.
