Florida is more than just sun, palm trees, and sandy beaches — it’s also home to several top-tier NCAA D1 schools. You have options when researching the best D1 schools in Florida for your student-athlete.
Whether your student-athlete is looking for a school close to home in Tallahassee, or they’re ready to get out of dodge and experience the sun and fun of Miami, there’s a Florida D1 school that will enable them to play the sport they love.
How many Division 1 colleges are in Florida?
Florida is home to 13 D1 colleges, but not all offer the same sports programs. Many colleges specialize in one specific sport, such as Florida State University for men’s swimming or the University of Florida’s women’s golf team. Each college’s website should list which sports they support and how your child can contact a coach or school representative.
What is the biggest college in Florida?
The biggest D1 college in Florida is the University of Central Florida (UCF), as it features more than 68,000 enrolled students. UCF is also one of the largest colleges in the nation. Known for its athletics and unique academic offerings, UCF features 240 degree programs and was named the best graduate game design program in the world, according to the Princeton Review.
Why choose a D1 college in Florida
The sunny weather and beautiful beaches aren’t the only reason your child might want to choose a D1 college in Florida.
- Strong Athletics: D1 schools in Florida have top-notch athletic programs like the Florida State football team, which was ESPN’s highest-ranked college football team in Florida in 2022. This means student-athletes and sports enthusiasts have several opportunities to watch and possibly even compete in their favorite sports.
- Great Weather: Florida is well-known for its warm climate. While temperatures fluctuate slightly depending on where you are in the sunshine state, average lows tend to fall into the 50s while highs peak in the mid-80s all year long.
- Diverse Campuses: D1 schools in Florida have diverse student bodies, so you’re student-athlete will get to meet and learn from people from all different backgrounds.
- Quality Education: There are plenty of top-notch educational programs at D1 schools in Florida. For example, the University of Miami has top-tier science, engineering, and music programs that offer student-athletes excellent educational opportunities.
- Fun Things to Do: Florida is home to many fun attractions like Disney World, Universal Orlando Studios, Cocoa Beach, and the Everglades National Park, so your student-athlete will always have something fun to do on the weekends.
List of D1 colleges in Florida by sport
Whether your student-athlete is a football prodigy or their high school’s best cross-country runner, Florida has some of the best sports colleges in the nation. Our list of D1 colleges in Florida below has all they need to get started with their search.
D1 baseball colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
View all Division 1 baseball colleges.
Men’s D1 basketball colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all men’s Division 1 basketball colleges.
Women’s D1 basketball colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all women’s Division 1 basketball colleges.
D1 football colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of South Florida
View all Division 1 football colleges.
Men’s D1 golf colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida State University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all men’s Division 1 golf colleges.
Women’s D1 golf colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all women’s Division 1 golf colleges.
Men’s D1 lacrosse colleges in Florida
- Jacksonville University
View all men’s Division 1 lacrosse colleges.
Women’s D1 lacrosse colleges in Florida
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Florida
- University of South Florida
View all women’s Division 1 lacrosse colleges.
Men’s D1 soccer colleges in Florida
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all men’s Division 1 soccer colleges.
Women’s D1 soccer colleges in Florida
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all women’s Division 1 soccer colleges.
D1 softball colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all Division 1 softball colleges.
Men’s D1 swimming colleges in Florida
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida State University
- University of Florida
View all men’s Division 1 swimming colleges.
Women’s D1 swimming colleges in Florida
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
View all women’s Division 1 swimming colleges.
Men’s D1 tennis colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida State University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all men’s Division 1 tennis colleges.
Women’s D1 tennis colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all women’s Division 1 tennis colleges.
Men’s D1 track and field colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida State University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all men’s Division 1 track and field colleges.
Women’s D1 track and field colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all women’s Division 1 track and field colleges.
Women’s D1 volleyball colleges in Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Miami (Florida)
- University of North Florida
- University of South Florida
View all women’s Division 1 volleyball colleges.
D1 college sports recruiting in Florida
NCSA is the trusted source for recruiting education and guidance for student-athletes interested in D1 schools in Florida. Families can count on us to help their children receive the best possible advice and solutions to improve their chances of being recruited by one or more of the Florida D1 colleges.
Check out our recruitment guide to learn more about how to get recruited for college sports and managing the recruitment process.
