The allocation of the respective universities to one of the three divisions (league system) takes place on the basis of scholarship money, size of the colleges and number of students. The highest scholarship money is distributed in Division l, although there is also the chance of full scholarships (covering tuition fees, room and board) in Division ll. Only academic scholarships are available in Division III.

​

From a footballing point of view, the level of Division l is the highest and most demanding, but there are also many good teams competing in Division II. Since the affiliation to the respective division does not only depend on the sporting aspects, there are also better teams in Division II than in Division I. All three divisions are divided into conferences, each of which is composed by the geographical location of the universities.

​

Academically, the NCAA offers many facets. In addition to the elite universities such as Stanford and Harvard, there are many other universities to complete a bachelor's degree. The regular period of study for a bachelor's degree is 8 semesters. A year of study at an NCAA school costs between $30,000 – $80,000. This covers the three major costs: tuition fees, room and board. Scholarships can be used to reduce these costs to the point that the university pays for all costs and thus makes a full scholarship possible.