NCAA Division III independent schools are four-year institutions that compete in
college athletics at the
NCAA Division III level, but do not belong to an established
athletic conference for a particular sport. These schools may however still compete as members of an athletic conference in other sports. A school may also be fully independent, and not belong to any athletic conference for any sport at all. The reason for independent status varies among institutions, but it is frequently because the school's primary athletic conference does not sponsor a particular sport.
^Clarks Summit was known as Baptist Bible College & Seminary during its stint as a member. The school name was changed to Summit University of Pennsylvania in 2015, and to Clarks Summit University in 2016.
^Dallas initially left the independents after the 2007–08 school year to join the
North Eastern Athletic Conference in some sports, including basketball. However, they rejoined after two years.
^Finlandia participated in the
Great South Athletic Conference from the 2013–14 to 2015–16 school years, but only in women's sports. Men's sports remained independent during those school years.
^Mills initially left the independents after the 2012–13 school year to join the
Great South Athletic Conference, however, they rejoined after three years due to the GSAC folding.
^Mills was acquired by
Northeastern University in 2023, becoming part of that university's extended operations in the San Francisco Bay Area. In advance of this, Mills dropped athletics after the 2021–22 school year.
^MUW initially discontinued its athletics program after the 2002–03 school year, however, they restored it before the 2017–18 school year.
^Mount Mary initially left the independents after the 2014–15 school year to join the
Great South Athletic Conference, however, they rejoined after one year due to the GSAC folding.
^New Rochelle merged into
Mercy College after the 2018–19 school year.
^
abThe NYU engineering school was the standalone Polytechnic University while in the NEAC. Polytechnic became affiliated with
New York University (NYU) in 2008 as the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (athletically known as NYU Poly), and merged completely into NYU in 2014. And as part of the final merger of NYU Poly with NYU, Poly's athletics program was merged into
that of NYU.
^
abNorthern Vermont was merged into Vermont State University in 2023, assuming the former's membership in the
North Atlantic Conference.
^
abcThis institution is a former women's college, which has eventually turned into a co-educational college (William Peace since 2012–13, Pine Manor since 2014–15 and Saint Elizabeth since 2016–17).
^Pine Manor initially left the independents after the 2014–15 school year to join the
Great Northeast Athletic Conference, however, they later rejoined after the 2015–16 school year.
^UC Santa Cruz participated in the
Great South Athletic Conference during the 2015–16 school year, but only in women's sports. Men's sports remained independent during that school year.
^William Peace was known as Peace College during its stint as a member. It adopted its current name in 2011.
^
abGordon College compete in the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association Championship which is not recognized by the
NCAA therefore these colleges are considered independents.
NCAA Division III independent schools are four-year institutions that compete in
college athletics at the
NCAA Division III level, but do not belong to an established
athletic conference for a particular sport. These schools may however still compete as members of an athletic conference in other sports. A school may also be fully independent, and not belong to any athletic conference for any sport at all. The reason for independent status varies among institutions, but it is frequently because the school's primary athletic conference does not sponsor a particular sport.
^Clarks Summit was known as Baptist Bible College & Seminary during its stint as a member. The school name was changed to Summit University of Pennsylvania in 2015, and to Clarks Summit University in 2016.
^Dallas initially left the independents after the 2007–08 school year to join the
North Eastern Athletic Conference in some sports, including basketball. However, they rejoined after two years.
^Finlandia participated in the
Great South Athletic Conference from the 2013–14 to 2015–16 school years, but only in women's sports. Men's sports remained independent during those school years.
^Mills initially left the independents after the 2012–13 school year to join the
Great South Athletic Conference, however, they rejoined after three years due to the GSAC folding.
^Mills was acquired by
Northeastern University in 2023, becoming part of that university's extended operations in the San Francisco Bay Area. In advance of this, Mills dropped athletics after the 2021–22 school year.
^MUW initially discontinued its athletics program after the 2002–03 school year, however, they restored it before the 2017–18 school year.
^Mount Mary initially left the independents after the 2014–15 school year to join the
Great South Athletic Conference, however, they rejoined after one year due to the GSAC folding.
^New Rochelle merged into
Mercy College after the 2018–19 school year.
^
abThe NYU engineering school was the standalone Polytechnic University while in the NEAC. Polytechnic became affiliated with
New York University (NYU) in 2008 as the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (athletically known as NYU Poly), and merged completely into NYU in 2014. And as part of the final merger of NYU Poly with NYU, Poly's athletics program was merged into
that of NYU.
^
abNorthern Vermont was merged into Vermont State University in 2023, assuming the former's membership in the
North Atlantic Conference.
^
abcThis institution is a former women's college, which has eventually turned into a co-educational college (William Peace since 2012–13, Pine Manor since 2014–15 and Saint Elizabeth since 2016–17).
^Pine Manor initially left the independents after the 2014–15 school year to join the
Great Northeast Athletic Conference, however, they later rejoined after the 2015–16 school year.
^UC Santa Cruz participated in the
Great South Athletic Conference during the 2015–16 school year, but only in women's sports. Men's sports remained independent during that school year.
^William Peace was known as Peace College during its stint as a member. It adopted its current name in 2011.
^
abGordon College compete in the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association Championship which is not recognized by the
NCAA therefore these colleges are considered independents.