NCAA Core Course Worksheet
All 16 required core units for Division I and II, as a checklist you can work through with your counselor — check off what's done, print it, and see the gap at a glance.
0 of 16 checked
English — 4 units
English 9–12, AP/IB English, composition
Math (Algebra I or higher) — 3 units
Algebra I & II, Geometry, Pre-Calc, Calculus, Statistics
Natural / physical science — 2 units
Biology, Chemistry, Physics — one lab science required
Extra English, math, or science — 1 unit
Any additional course from the three groups above
Social science — 2 units
History, Government, Economics, Psychology, Sociology
Additional core — 4 units
More from any group above, or foreign language / comparative religion
D1 also requires 10 core courses done before senior year (7 in English/math/science) — and those 10 are locked in for GPA purposes once senior year starts.
Tracking this by hand every semester is exactly the kind of thing PlayEligible automates — grades in, best-16 GPA and division status out. Start free →
Common questions
What are the 16 NCAA core courses for Division I?
4 units of English, 3 of math (Algebra I or higher), 2 of natural/physical science (one lab), 1 additional English/math/science, 2 of social science, and 4 additional core units (from any category, or foreign language/comparative religion).
How is Division II different?
D2 requires the same 16 total units with a different split: 3 English, 2 math, 2 science, 3 additional English/math/science, 2 social science, and 4 additional core units.
What's the 10/7 rule?
For Division I, 10 of your 16 core courses must be completed before your seventh semester (senior year) — and 7 of those 10 must be in English, math, or science. Those 10 grades are then locked into your core GPA; senior-year retakes can't replace them.
How do I know if a class counts as core?
Your high school maintains an NCAA-approved core course list (searchable on the NCAA Eligibility Center site by school code). If a course isn't on your school's approved list, it doesn't count — even if it sounds academic.