For goalkeepers
College soccer goalkeeper recruiting
The short answer
A college roster carries about three goalkeepers, so there is room for about one new keeper a year, and in some years none. We counted 7,177 keepers on current rosters: the median listed height is 5'7" for women and 6'1" for men. A keeper’s search is about finding the programs whose keepers are about to graduate.
Counted from our data on
| Goalkeepers counted | 7,177 |
|---|---|
| Keepers on a Division I women’s roster | 3 (usually 3 to 4) |
| Median height, women | 5'7" (5'4" to 5'10") |
| Median height, men | 6'1" (5'10" to 6'4") |
| Keepers who are freshmen, women / men | 29% / 30% |
Height range: the middle eight in ten, as schools list them.
How many goalkeepers does a college team carry?
| Division | Women’s rosters | Men’s rosters |
|---|---|---|
| D1 | 3 (usually 3 to 4) | 3 (usually 3 to 4) |
| D2 | 3 (usually 3 to 4) | 4 (usually 3 to 4) |
| D3 | 3 (usually 2 to 4) | 3 (usually 3 to 4) |
| NAIA | 3 (usually 2 to 4) | 4 (usually 3 to 4) |
The usual range is the middle half of rosters.
One keeper plays. That shapes everything else: a program usually looks for a keeper when one is about to leave, and a recruiting class with no keeper in it is normal.
How do you find programs that need a goalkeeper?
Read the roster by class year. A program with a senior and a junior keeper and nobody behind them needs one in your class. A program with two freshmen keepers does not, however much you like it.
Every program page shows the squad by class year for 2026-27. For a keeper this is the first filter, before level and before location. Then ask the coach directly: are you bringing in a goalkeeper in my class?
| Class | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Freshmen | 29% | 30% |
| Sophomores | 25% | 24% |
| Juniors | 23% | 23% |
| Seniors | 19% | 18% |
| Graduate students | 3% | 4% |
Share of goalkeepers whose class year the roster lists.
How tall are college goalkeepers?
The median listed height is 5'7" for women and 6'1" for men, and one keeper in ten is at or below 5'4" and 5'10". Height helps and is not a rule. A shorter keeper needs video that shows reach, timing and command of the box.
Division by division: average height of college soccer players.
What should a goalkeeper’s highlight video show?
- Shot stopping, low and high, to both sides.
- Crosses and high balls in traffic.
- One against one: when you come and how you set.
- Distribution: goal kicks, throws, passes under pressure with both feet.
- Footwork and positioning before the shot, not only the save.
- Organising: your voice on set pieces, if the film has sound.
Keepers should add a stretch of unedited game film: coaches want the minutes when nothing is happening. The rest is in the highlight video guide.
Are ID camps worth it for goalkeepers?
They can be, because a keeper is hard to judge from clips alone. At a school’s own camp the staff see you train for hours. Ask before you pay how many keepers are attending and whether there is goalkeeper-specific coaching. Find camps in ID camps by state.
Quick answers
- How many goalkeepers are on a college soccer roster?
- About three. On Division I women’s rosters the middle roster lists 3, and the usual range is 3 to 4.
- How tall do you have to be to be a college goalkeeper?
- There is no minimum. The median listed height is 5'7" for women and 6'1" for men, and a tenth of keepers are at or below 5'4" and 5'10".
- Is it harder to get recruited as a goalkeeper?
- There are fewer places: a program carries a few keepers and has room for about one new one a year. The work is finding the programs whose keepers graduate before you arrive.
- Do goalkeepers get scholarships?
- They can, at programs that award athletic aid. As at every position, the amount depends on the program’s budget and how much it wants the player.
- When should a goalkeeper start contacting coaches?
- On the same timetable as any player: a list and a video in tenth grade, and emails as soon as the video is worth watching.
How this was counted
Goalkeepers are players whose listed position is goalkeeper, on rosters confirmed as the 2026-27 squad. Per-roster counts use rosters where at least 90% of players could be placed at a position. Heights are as listed by each school.
Sources
Last checked against these sources on. Figures marked Startline are counted from the data we hold and move when it does. Rules change: check anything dated against the governing body itself.
See roster room scored for a sample player
The demo’s fit screen scores room at the position for a sample player at each school.
The demo is the real product with a sample player in it. No account, no card, and nothing you do in it is charged or sent.