Study: College athletes report confidence in career readiness

This month, the NCAA released findings from two studies — the Growth, Opportunities, Aspirations and Learning of Students (GOALS) in College study and the Student-Athlete Needs, Aspirations and Perspectives (SNAP) study — examining student-athletes’ perspectives on career preparation and life after college.

According to the NCAA, the results indicate that student-athletes feel increasingly prepared for their careers and postcollege plans.

In the SNAP study, nearly two-thirds of respondents reported feeling positive or very positive about their career prospects, while more than 90% of student-athletes participating in the GOALS study said participation in college sports had a positive or very positive impact on career-applicable qualities like work ethic, responsibility and teamwork.

The GOALS study surveyed more than 20,000 student-athletes from 493 schools across all three NCAA divisions, examining academic, athletic and social experiences. Meanwhile, the SNAP study, which is administered voluntarily to Division I student-athletes, received responses from more than 5,600 athletes from 158 schools.

Postcollege plans and career prep

The GOALS study showed varied plans among student-athletes who were seniors or postgraduates at the time of the survey.

Across all divisions, 44% of GOALS respondents planned to work in a field related to their major, while fewer anticipated pursuing postgraduate education (23%), working at a job unrelated to their major (13%) or dedicating themselves full time to their sport (12%).

Participants in the GOALS study were also asked whether they expected that their job after college would involve sports. Student-athletes in D-I men’s sports (54%) and D-II men’s sports (49%) said this was somewhat likely or very likely, higher than the results for D-III men’s sports and women’s sports across all divisions.

The GOALS study also revealed significantly different career plans by gender. According to the results, student-athletes in women’s sports were twice as likely as those in men’s sports to plan to immediately enroll in grad school, while student-athletes in men’s sports were 2.5 times more likely to devote themselves primarily to their sport after graduation.

D-I athletes reported the highest rates of both pursuing full-time sports and working in a field related to their major.

Both the GOALS and SNAP studies also found that student-athletes “overwhelmingly” think the experiences gained through athletics will translate into future career success. Among SNAP respondents in their junior year or beyond, 60% in men’s sports and 53% in women’s sports agreed or strongly agreed that they felt prepared to make the transition out of competitive sports.

While 90% of GOALS study respondents said their college athletics experience had a positive or very positive effect on work ethic, responsibility and teamwork, more than 80% also said goal-setting, leadership, attention to detail, time management, adaptability, performing under pressure and understanding people from different backgrounds and identities are skills they developed through participation in college sports.

A path toward professional sports

Both studies also examined student-athletes’ expectations about competing professionally or at the Olympic level.

The GOALS study showed D-I men’s sports participants (57%) ranked highest among those who believe becoming a professional or Olympic athlete was at least somewhat likely, followed by D-II men’s sports (36%) and D-I women’s sports (23%).

The NCAA said perceptions varied considerably by sport, gender and division. Student-athletes competing in sports with more established professional or Olympic pathways were generally more likely to think they could continue their athletic careers at the next level.

Sports in which at least half of student-athletes reported being somewhat likely or more likely to become a professional or Olympic athlete were:

• D-I men’s basketball (78%) and D-II men’s basketball (63%)
• D-I men’s ice hockey (75%) and women’s ice hockey (54%)
• Football Bowl Subdivision participants (74%) and Football Championship Subdivision participants (61%)
• D-I men’s golf (67%) and women’s golf (50%)
• D-I baseball (59%)
• D-I men’s soccer (56%)

“The findings underscore the dual role college sports play in shaping student athletes’ futures and helping them prepare for careers beyond sport while also providing avenues to compete at the highest levels of athletics,” the NCAA said.