Who are the highest-paid college athletes? The top 20 highest-paid students in 2024
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has long opposed initiatives to compensate collegiate athletes in the United States. However, following years of advocacy by proponents of student-athlete remuneration, concluding in the Supreme Court's ruling in NCAA v. Alston 2021, collegiate athletes can now be compensated for their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Who are the highest-paid college athletes?
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Highest-paid college athletes
- 1. Bronny James – $ 4.9 million
- 2. Shedeur Sanders – $4.7 million
- 3. Olivia Dunne – $3.6 million
- 4. Caitlin Clark – $3.1 million
- 5. Arch Manning – $2.8 million
- 6. Caleb Williams – $2.7 million
- 7. Travis Hunter – $2.4 million
- 8. Quinn Ewers – $1.9 million
- 9. Angel Reese – $1.8 million
- 10. Bo Nix – $1.8 million
- 11. Michael Penix Jr. – $1.5 million
- 12. Evan Stewart – $1.4 million
- 13. Marvin Harrison Jr. – $1.4 million
- 14. Bryce James – $1.2 million
- 15. Drake Maye – $1.2 million
- 16. Hansel Enmanuel – $1.2 million
- 17. Nico Iamaleava – $1.2 million
- 18. Jordan Travis – $1.1 million
- 19. Jared McCain – $1.1 million
- 20. Flau'jae Johnson – $1.1 million
- What is Travis Hunter's NIL deal worth?
- Who is the highest-paid college football player?
- Who is the highest-paid female college athlete?
This article about the highest-paid collegiate athletes is based on data from On3NIL and other similar online sources. These rankings are updated often to reflect the most recent earnings from time to time.
Highest-paid college athletes
These top-paid college athletes have accomplished remarkable feats at a young age. They pushed hard to become the finest in their industries, earning substantial financial rewards. Here is a list of the highest-paid college athletes.
| Rank | Athlete | NIL valuation |
| 1. | Bronny James | $ 4.9 million |
| 2. | Shedeur Sanders | $4.7 million |
| 3. | Olivia Dunne | $3.6 million |
| 4. | Caitlin Clark | $3.1 million |
| 5. | Arch Manning | $2.8 million |
| 6. | Caleb Williams | $2.7 million |
| 7. | Travis Hunter | $2.4 million |
| 8. | Quinn Ewers | $1.9 million |
| 9. | Angel Reese | $1.8 million |
| 10. | Bo Nix | $1.8 million |
| 11. | Michael Penix Jr. | $1.5 million |
| 12. | Evan Stewart | $1.4 million |
| 13. | Marvin Harrison Jr. | $1.4 million |
| 14. | Bryce James | $1.2 million |
| 15. | Drake Maye | $1.2 million |
| 16. | Hansel Enmanuel | $1.2 million |
| 17. | Nico Iamaleava | $1.2 million |
| 18. | Jordan Travis | $1.1 million |
| 19. | Jared McCain | $1.1 million |
| 20. | Flau'jae Johnson | $1.1 million |
1. Bronny James – $ 4.9 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: LeBron Raymone "Bronny" James Jr.
- Date of birth: 6 October 2004
- Sport: Basketball
- Valuation: $4.9 million
Which college athlete is making the most money? Bronny James—the son of the legendary NBA player LeBron James. He is a United States collegiate basketball player. He plays for the Pac-12 Conference's USC Trojans.
James is a consensus four-star prospect selected as a McDonald's All-American senior in high school in 2023. James is one of the highest-paid NIL college athletes
2. Shedeur Sanders – $4.7 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Shedeur Sanders
- Date of birth: 7 February 2002
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $4.7 million
Shedeur Sanders is a football quarterback from the United States. He plays for the Colorado Buffaloes. Shedeur was a Jackson State Tigers player who earned the Jerry Rice Award and the Deacon Jones Trophy before leaving in 2023. He is one of the top-paid college football players.
3. Olivia Dunne – $3.6 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Olivia Paige "Livvy" Dunne
- Date of birth: 1 October 2002
- Sport: Gymnast
- Valuation: $3.6 million
Olivia Dunne is an artistic gymnast and social media celebrity from the United States. She is a former USA national team member and current LSU Tigers women's gymnastics team participant. Dunne is one of the highest-paid female college athletes.
4. Caitlin Clark – $3.1 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Caitlin Clark
- Date of birth: 22 January 2002
- Sport: Basketball
- Valuation: $3.1 million
Caitlin Clark is a US-born collegiate basketball player for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference. She is the NCAA Division I historic top scorer and is recognised as one of the best players in women's collegiate basketball history.
5. Arch Manning – $2.8 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Archibald Charles "Arch" Manning
- Date of birth: 27 April 2005
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $2.8 million
Arch Manning is a football player from the United States. He plays quarterback for the Texas Longhorns.
6. Caleb Williams – $2.7 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Caleb Sequan Williams
- Date of birth: 18 November 2001
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $2.7 million
Caleb Williams is a United States football quarterback. He attended collegiate football at USC and Oklahoma. Caleb earned the Heisman Trophy and multiple other trophies with USC in 2022, throwing for over 4,500 yards and 52 total touchdowns.
7. Travis Hunter – $2.4 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Travis Hunter Jr.
- Date of birth: 18 May 2003
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $2.4 million
Travis Hunter is a football player from the United States. He plays cornerback and wide receiver for the Colorado Buffaloes. He formerly competed for the Jackson State Tigers, where he was the highest-ranked candidate to ever sign with an HBCU or FCS programme.
8. Quinn Ewers – $1.9 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Quinn Tucker Ewers
- Date of birth: 15 March 2003
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $1.9 million
Quinn Ewers is a quarterback who plays for the Texas Longhorns. He enrolled at Ohio State University in 2021 before moving to Texas in 2022, when he became the starter. He is notable for being the first unprofessional athlete to sign a name, image, and likeness contract worth more than $1 million.
9. Angel Reese – $1.8 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Angel Reese
- Date of birth: 6 May 2002
- Sport: Basketball
- Valuation: $1.8 million
Angel Reese is a United States collegiate basketball player who competes for the Southeastern Conference's LSU Tigers. She is one of the highest-paid college basketball athletes.
10. Bo Nix – $1.8 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Bo Chapman Nix
- Date of birth: 25 February 2000
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $1.8 million
Bo Nix is a football quarterback from the United States. He participated in college football at Oregon and Auburn.
11. Michael Penix Jr. – $1.5 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Michael Tarrence Penix Jr.
- Date of birth: 8 May 2000
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $1.5 million
Michael Penix Jr. is a football quarterback from the United States. He played collegiate football at Indiana and Washington, earning the Maxwell Award in 2023 and guiding the latter to the 2024 national championship game.
12. Evan Stewart – $1.4 million
- Full name: Evan Malik Stewart
- Date of birth: 4 September 2003
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $1.4 million
Evan Stewart is a football player from the United States. He enrolled early at Texas A&M in January 2022 and participated in spring practices.
13. Marvin Harrison Jr. – $1.4 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Marvin Darnell Harrison Jr.
- Date of birth: 11 August 2002
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $1.4 million
Marvin Harrison Jr. is a United States football wide receiver. He attended Ohio State University and was a two-time unanimous All-American and the 2023 Fred Biletnikoff Award recipient.
14. Bryce James – $1.2 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Bryce Maximus James
- Date of birth: 14 June 2007
- Sport: Basketball
- Valuation: $1.2 million
Bryce James is a US-based basketball player. He mainly plays the shooting guard position. He is LeBron James' second kid and the younger sibling of Bronny James, a collegiate basketball player.
15. Drake Maye – $1.2 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Drake-Lee Maye
- Date of birth: 30 August 2002
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $1.2 million
Drake Maye is a football quarterback from the United States. He attended North Carolina and received numerous awards and honours, including 2022 ACC Player of the Year.
16. Hansel Enmanuel – $1.2 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Hansel Enmanuel Donato Domínguez
- Date of birth: 24 October 2003
- Sport: Basket
- Valuation: $1.2 million
Hansel Emmanuel is a Dominican college basketball player. He plays for the Austin Peay Governors in the Atlantic Sun Conference. He attended Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida, for high school basketball and signed with Northwestern State before transferring after his first year.
17. Nico Iamaleava – $1.2 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Nicholaus "Nico" Iamaleava
- Date of birth: 2 September 2004
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $1.2 million
Nico Iamaleava is a United States football quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers. He was among the best players in the 2023 class.
18. Jordan Travis – $1.1 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Jordan Travis
- Date of birth: 2 May 2000
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $1.1 million
Jordan Travis is a quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles, having formerly played for the Louisville Cardinals.
19. Jared McCain – $1.1 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Jared McCain
- Date of birth: 20 February 2004
- Sport: Basketball
- Valuation: $1.1 million
Jared McCain is a US-based college basketball player who competes for the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference. He was concurrently a five-star prospect and one of the best players in the 2023 class.
20. Flau'jae Johnson – $1.1 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Flau'jae Johnson
- Date of birth: 3 November 2003
- Sport: Basketball
- Valuation: $1.1 million
Flau'jae Johnson is a US-based rapper who plays collegiate basketball for the Southeastern Conference's LSU Tigers. She began her rookie season as LSU's regular shooting guard.
What is Travis Hunter's NIL deal worth?
Travis Hunter's NIL contract is estimated to be $1.5 million this year. Hunter's financial guarantee exemplifies the significant influence that NIL has had on college athletics, allowing athletes to determine their destinies in unexpected ways.
Who is the highest-paid college football player?
Shedeur Sanders is the highest-paid football player. Who has the highest NIL deal in college football? Shedeur Sanders has the highest NIL deals in football. He plays for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Who is the highest-paid female college athlete?
Olivia Dunne is the highest-paid female college athlete. She is an artistic gymnast and social media celebrity from the United States.
Above are some of the highest-paid college athletes. College athletes' financial potential has increased significantly with the passage of the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) bill, allowing players to benefit from their brands. This has created new potential for these players to earn a significant salary through sponsorship contracts, endorsement deals, and personal appearances.
Yen.com.gh recently released a fantastic list of the richest Kumawood actors. The entertainment sector is lucrative, and it mainly draws young people. It is not unique in Kumawood, which has emerged as one of Ghana's leading film industries.
Who are the top ten richest Ghanaian actors? Read the article to learn about some of Kumawood's most famous performers and actresses and a quick overview of their careers.
Source: YEN.com.gh
