If you've been searching for squash scholarships in America, here's the finding that saves families the most time and money: they barely exist. College squash is not an NCAA sport, and the programmes your child would most want to play for are at universities that give no athletic money at all.
That sounds like bad news. It isn't. Squash offers one of the best admissions advantages in American university sport, and for a strong junior player with decent grades it can open doors that are effectively closed to everyone else. You just have to understand what you're actually chasing.
How US college squash is organised
Intercollegiate squash in the United States is governed by the College Squash Association, a body supported by US Squash, and not by the NCAA. For the 2025–26 season there were 34 varsity men's programmes and 31 women's, plus a substantial number of club teams that compete in the same national championships in February. The CSA has said publicly that it wants to grow to 40 varsity teams on each side.
Because the NCAA isn't involved, there are no NCAA scholarship limits to talk about, and no NCAA rules capping what a programme can offer. In practice this doesn't help you, because the strongest programmes are concentrated at institutions that don't give athletic scholarships as a matter of policy: the Ivy League by conference rule, and the top liberal-arts colleges because Division III forbids athletic aid entirely.
| Where the strong programmes are | Examples | Athletic money |
|---|---|---|
| Ivy League | Harvard, Princeton, Penn, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Brown | None. Ivy rule. |
| Top Division III colleges | Trinity (CT), Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Hamilton, Haverford | None. Division III rule. |
| Other varsity programmes | Drexel, Rochester, St. Lawrence, Franklin & Marshall, George Washington, Naval Academy | Occasionally some aid, but rarely and rarely substantial. |
| Club programmes | Many large universities | None, and no recruiting support. |
Trinity College in Connecticut is worth noting for European families, because it's a Division III liberal-arts college that has been a national squash power for decades and recruits internationally. Harvard, Princeton, and Penn have all been at or near the top of the men's and women's rankings in recent seasons.
What you're actually competing for
The prize in squash recruiting is a coach's support in the admissions process. At a university with a single-digit acceptance rate, that support is transformative. Squash rosters are small, the recruiting pool is genuinely international, and Ivy coaches actively watch the junior events that UK and European players already enter. A player who would be a long shot as a general applicant can become a likely admit as a supported recruit.
Two other things come with it. Ivy League universities and the wealthiest liberal-arts colleges meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted students, and several are need-blind for international applicants, so a family that qualifies can end up paying far less than the sticker price. And the degree itself is one that money alone can't buy.
Put plainly: a partial squash scholarship doesn't exist for most players, but a coach-supported place at Harvard or Williams does, and it's worth more.
What coaches actually look at
Squash coaches recruit from results they can interpret and from relationships. For a UK or European junior, the things that get read are:
- Results at events American coaches follow. The British Junior Open is the single most-watched event in the world for junior squash and coaches pay close attention to it. European Junior Championships results, national championship placings, and county or regional finals all help.
- Rankings. England Squash, Scottish Squash, and other national junior rankings; European Squash Federation rankings; and any PSA ranking, which carries real weight even at the bottom of the professional list.
- US Squash rating. If your child has played in the US at all, they may have one, and coaches use it to calibrate against domestic recruits. If they haven't, don't invent an equivalence; give the coach results and let them judge.
- Video. Full games, not highlight reels. Coaches want to see movement, length, and how a player builds a point, none of which survives editing.
- Trajectory. A player who has improved sharply over two seasons is more interesting than a player who peaked at 15.
The CSA itself makes a point that surprises families: juniors routinely underestimate whether they're recruitable, rankings aren't always the best guide to a player's potential, and communicating directly with coaches matters more than the number next to your name. Plenty of players end up on varsity rosters as walk-ons. If your child loves the game and is willing to train, there is very likely a team somewhere in the CSA.
Why the test score decides more squash recruitments than the squash does
Here's the part most families don't see coming. Because squash's strongest programmes are all at academically selective universities, every serious recruitment runs through an academic pre-read, and coaches have a limited budget of academic latitude to spend.
Ivy League universities calculate an Academic Index for each recruited athlete, combining converted grades with SAT or ACT scores, and each team's recruits must average within a band of the university's admitted-class average. A coach therefore has only a few "low index" slots per year. In a sport with rosters as small as squash, that might mean one or two.
Now consider the coach's position. Two juniors, similar British Junior Open results, similar trajectory. One has an SAT score near the university's median; the other has no score, or a weak one. The first costs the coach nothing. The second costs them a scarce slot they may need for a genuinely exceptional player. This is not a close decision, and it happens every recruiting cycle.
Because the athletic gaps between the top junior recruits in squash are narrow, the academic number is very often the actual tiebreaker. Our page on the SAT and ACT for recruited athletes sets out target ranges by tier and explains the Academic Index in full.
Timeline for a UK or European squash player
| School year | Squash | Academics |
|---|---|---|
| Year 11 | Compete at the British Junior Open and national events. Build a target list of 12–20 CSA programmes across tiers. Start filming full games. | Take a practice SAT and a practice ACT over the summer; pick one. |
| Year 12, autumn | Email coaches directly with results, ranking, video, and academic details. Squash coaches read these; the sport is small enough that a good email gets a reply. | Begin preparation. One session a week fits around training. |
| Year 12, spring | British Junior Open and European results. Update coaches after each event. | Sit the SAT or ACT in March, May, or June. Retake if needed. |
| Summer after Year 12 | Visits where possible. Verbal conversations with coaches become concrete. | Academic pre-reads. Score must be in hand. |
| Year 13, autumn | Apply Early Decision or Restrictive Early Action by 1 November. Likely letters follow for Ivy recruits. | A final retake is insurance, not a plan. |
Get the academic side right
See what score your target programmes need: Do you need the SAT or ACT to be recruited? Then look at how we work: SAT tutoring, Digital SAT tutoring, ACT tutoring, all available online. UK evenings are California mornings, so sessions fit around a school day and a training schedule. Or get in touch for a free 15-minute call.
New to US recruiting? Start with US university sports recruitment explained for UK and European families, or compare squash with other sports on which US sports actually give scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Are there any squash scholarships in the USA?
Very few, and not at the programmes most families want. Squash isn't an NCAA sport, and its strongest teams are at Ivy League and Division III institutions where athletic aid is prohibited. A handful of other varsity programmes may offer some assistance, but you should not plan around athletic money in squash.
What is the College Squash Association?
The governing body for intercollegiate varsity squash in the United States, supported by US Squash. It runs the team rankings and the national championships in February. It is separate from the NCAA.
How good does a UK junior need to be?
For Ivy and top Division III recruitment, generally a player competing at the sharp end of national junior events with credible British Junior Open results. But the CSA is broad: with 60-plus men's and 40-plus women's teams including club programmes, players well outside that level find places. Contact coaches rather than assuming from a ranking.
Does the British Junior Open matter to American coaches?
Yes. It's the most closely watched junior event in world squash and US college coaches follow it.
Do I need an agency to be recruited for squash?
No. Squash is a small, well-connected sport, and coaches routinely respond to direct emails from players with real results. What an agency cannot do is raise your Academic Index.
What SAT or ACT score does a squash recruit need?
It depends on the university. For Ivy League programmes, supported recruits typically sit in the SAT 1400–1520 or ACT 31–34 range, and a score closer to the university's median makes a coach's job much easier. See our SAT and ACT page for targets by tier.
Programme counts and rankings reflect the 2025–26 CSA season. Policies and rosters change; confirm current details with each university and the CSA.