Global Guide to University Triathlon Teams: Scholarships and Opportunities for Aspiring Athletes


Embark on a transformative journey through university life, where academic growth meets personal exploration. For aspiring athletes, particularly those with a passion for the triathlon, this guide serves as your starting point in exploring the vibrant world of university triathlon teams, their scholarships, and global opportunities.

While it is not the most popular sport at the university level there are a lot of universities that have triathlon teams, and many of those teams have dedicated trainers and training regimes. It is relatively easy to find out if your chosen university has a triathlon team.

In this article, we will cover some of the top universities for triathlon from around the world, and what to consider when choosing a university.

Triathlon Teams and Their Presence in Universities

Despite not being the most mainstream sport at the university level, numerous universities boast triathlon teams complete with dedicated trainers and training regimes. Determining whether your chosen university has a triathlon team is often a simple inquiry away, typically starting at the university’s sports department.

Triathlon Clubs in the UK

In the UK, universities like Oxford, Exeter, and Sheffield Hallam offer triathlon clubs with regular coaching. Some even provide sports scholarships through the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS), though these are generally not available for international students.

Here are some universities that may have triathlon programs,

  • University of Bristol 
  • Exeter University
  • Newcastle University
  • Nottingham Trent University
  • Oxford University
  • Sheffield Hallam University
  • University of St Andrews
  • University of Edinburgh

USA

Universities in the US have a long history of supporting a variety of sports and, with 147 collegiate triathlon clubs across the country, there are plenty of choices. Below are the top ten universities for triathlon in the US based on a 2018 poll (source).

  • University of Colorado at Boulder
  • United States Naval Academy
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • Queens University of Charlotte
  • Colorado State University
  • Texas A&M University
  • United States Military Academy
  • Arizona State University
  • University of California, Los Angeles
  • Stanford University

Also, check out if If You Have to Know how to Swim to Join the Navy & Air Force? Branches for Non-Swimmers

Is Triathlon An NCAA Sport?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) organizes athletic programs of colleges and universities in the United States. This is the sports body that offers scholarships for top athletes in a variety of sports.

Triathlon is an NCAA sport for females, but not for male athletes as of the time of writing. NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 have 4.5 scholarships available to distribute among female triathletes and they may distribute partial scholarships as they see fit. This means that you may receive a full scholarship or, more likely, a partial scholarship from these universities.

DivisionNumber of Teams Total Athletes Scholarship Limit 
 MenWomenMenWomenMenWomen
NCAA I0806204.5
NCAA II412368204.5
NCAA III01205000
Triathlon NCAA Scholarship Distribution by Gender

Data taken from scholarshipstats.com

There is a lot of competition for these scholarships, given that of the 62 competing women for NCAA I only 4.5 scholarships are available.

You really do need to be an exceptional athlete to even be considered to be awarded a partial scholarship.

For male athletes the future does not look positive for triathlon becoming an NCAA sport due to the popularity and associated revenue brought in by American Football (source), which offers 85 scholarships.

American Football is highly unlikely to make way for smaller sports such as triathlon, so as a male athlete there is little chance of financial aid.

Can You Get A University Scholarship For Triathlon?

As shown, there are not many opportunities to get scholarships for triathlon, especially for men. Additionally, it is important to note that competition for sports scholarships is seriously intense.

So, if you are looking at this route then be sure to see how you measure up against the athletes in your age group from events across the world to see what chance you stand.

UK – The UK offers bursaries through the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS), but this is not available for international students. If you are looking to study and train in the UK and you are an international student, then you will not be eligible for a TASS scholarship.

USA – The US do offer triathlon scholarships, but for the moment they are for women only because triathlon is not a NCAA sport for men as of yet. Your best bet here is to email directly those universities that you are interested in and give them a full idea of your results as a triathlete to date. Watch the video below from Bethan Hinett to give you an idea of the process and the considerations when choosing where to study.

Canada – While Canada may border the US, their approaches to sports scholarships are very different. The focus is more on education first and sports second.

As such, Athletic Financial Awards can only cover the costs of tuition fees and books and are often lower than those given in the US (source). As with the UK, these scholarships are not available for international students. While there are scholarships available for international students, they tend to be awarded for academic purposes and are mostly awarded at the post-graduate level (source).

Europe – The requirements for scholarships vary from country to country, so it is best to find out the processes and options in your chosen country before you make any decisions.

While it would seem that the best choice for a scholarship for international students would be to study in the US, remember to balance this against tuition fees.

USA$30,000 / year
UK$13,130 / year
Canada$22,500 / year
Average Tuition Fees For International Students

European fees can vary drastically from as little as $1,000 per year in Italy, up to $13,130 in the UK. Check out this report on the cost of studying in European universities for more details on fees in order to make a more informed decision.

Even without a scholarship, you may find it more cost-effective to study in Europe and use those savings to support your development as a triathlete.

How Long Is A University Triathlon And What Are The Average Times?

NCAA triathlons are held at sprint distance. That is, swim 750m, bike 20km, run 5km. Each university has 7 members in the team, and the top 5 competitors earn points for the team as a whole.

The winning time for the NCAA female event of 2021 in Clermont came from Sam McInnes with a time of 01:03:56. See how you would have fared against the top ten finishers are in the table below:

PositionNameSwimBikeRunOverall
1Sam MCINNES00:11:2400:32:1200:18:3801:03:56.8
2Jana MILLAT00:11:5200:32:4400:20:1301:06:36.1
3Zoe VAN DIJK00:12:4100:33:0300:19:4101:07:15.1
4Chloe RAMIREZ00:11:4800:32:4300:21:2601:07:47.8
5Payton RYZ00:11:4200:32:5000:21:3401:07:54.6
6Hannah MOLONEY00:11:3800:32:5300:21:3401:07:55.9
7Colomba NAHUM00:12:3000:33:0900:20:3701:08:18.2
8Grace ARLANDSON00:11:4000:32:4300:21:5001:08:20.1
9Eleonora PIERRE00:12:2800:33:1300:20:4701:08:21.7
10Hayley DIEMAR00:11:0800:33:2400:22:0701:08:33.5
Triathlon NCAA female finish time

Data taken from www.sportstats.us

For a detailed analysis of the average times for all triathlon distances by age group check out his article ‘Triathlon Distances & Average Timings Analysis (Infographic); Pick Your Right Fight!’

Final Thoughts

Triathlon is a sport that creates fanatics and, once you are hooked, it can become a huge part of your life. That said, we as a community, have to accept that it is not a mainstream sport and so will not have the same level of access or financial support as many other sports such as basketball, football, or baseball. This is particularly true at the university level.

If your reason for selecting a university is influenced by the access to triathlon teams then keep in mind that, while there are options out there, this will significantly reduce your list of potential universities.

An alternative choice may be to look for universities that offer great athletic clubs and search for triathlon-specific clubs outside of the university itself. This would widen your choice of universities, as well as increasing your chances of a sports scholarship if you can show excellence in your chosen discipline.  

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