Top JUCO Regions and Conferences: NJCAA Region 5 Leads All 41 in Alumni Placement Score
NJCAA Region 5 (New Mexico & Western Texas) leads the top JUCO regions and conferences with a combined 3,196.4 Raw Alumni Placement Score (APS) — the highest of the 41 regions and conferences tracked across NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC, and USCAA-2YR.
This board ranks every NJCAA region, every 3C2A conference, every NWAC region, and the USCAA-2YR board on one scale: 530 colleges with 10,831 alumni currently active on four-year rosters. Region 8 (Florida, 2,879.9) and Region 6 (Kansas, 2,589.6) rank second and third.
Why NJCAA Regions Lead the Top JUCO Regions and Conferences
NJCAA regions hold the first 18 places on the board. That is mostly a size effect: the largest NJCAA regions field 20 or more colleges, while a 3C2A conference has 6 to 9 and an NWAC region 5 to 8. The Orange Empire Conference (3C2A) is the highest-ranked group outside NJCAA at #19 (1,057.7 from 8 colleges), followed by the Big 8 Conference (3C2A) at #20. The NWAC Eastern Region is the top NWAC group at #24.
Average Raw APS Per College Tells a Different Story
Combined Raw APS naturally favors regions and conferences with more colleges. Average Raw APS per college removes that size advantage. Under this lens, Region 11 (Iowa & Northeast Nebraska) leads at 145.1 per college, followed by Region 14 (Eastern Texas & Southwestern Louisiana, 139.6) and Region 6 (Kansas, 136.3). The Orange Empire Conference ranks 4th at 132.2, ahead of Region 5 (127.9), which leads the board on combined total.
On Efficiency APS, Region 8 (Florida) and Region 14 (Eastern Texas & Southwestern Louisiana) share the top mark at 4.59, with the Orange Empire Conference next at 4.50. It is the clearest example of a smaller conference placing alumni at the same level as the strongest NJCAA regions.
Top JUCO Regions and Conferences, All Governing Bodies (2026)
Tip: Click any region or conference name in the table below to view its full college-by-college leaderboard.
College Baseball Insights · JUCO Pipeline Dashboard
JUCO Alumni Leaderboard
NJCAA · 3C2A · NWAC · USCAA-2YR · Top Regions & Conferences · 2026
Ranked by combined Alumni Placement Score (APS) per region or conference, weighting each alumnus by four-year level. Every region and conference across four governing bodies.
41 Regions & Conferences
530 Colleges Tracked
10,831 Total Alumni
4 Governing Bodies
Rk Region / Conference Colleges Total Alumni Total Raw APS Avg/Col Overall Eff APS Leader
Source: CBI JUCO Pipeline Dashboard, Reporting Year 2026 · Top Regions & Conferences, NJCAA, 3C2A, NWAC and USCAA-2YR Data as of October 23, 2026 Insights reflect data available at time of publication and are subject to change.
COLLEGE BASEBALL INSIGHTS
Group size varies widely across the board, from NJCAA Region 12 (Indiana, Lower Michigan & Ohio) with 28 colleges down to Region 18 (Scenic West Athletic Conference) with just 4. Open any region or conference for its college-by-college rankings, records, and win percentages.
How the Top JUCO Regions and Conferences Are Ranked
Each region’s or conference’s Total Raw APS is the sum of the Raw APS of every college in it. Avg Raw APS/College divides that total by the number of colleges, and Overall Eff APS divides it by total alumni. The board is ranked by Total Raw APS, with Total Alumni as the tiebreaker. Every college is scored with the same weights, whichever governing body it belongs to, so NJCAA regions, 3C2A conferences, and NWAC regions compare on one scale. See the 2026 APS methodology for the formula, weights, and FAQ.
What Is Alumni Placement Score?
Alumni Placement Score (APS) weights each alumnus by the level they’re playing at: NCAA Division I counts for 5.0 points, NCAA Division II for 4.3, NAIA for 4.0, NCAA Division III for 3.7, NCCAA for 2.5, and USCAA for 2.0. A college’s Raw APS is the sum of those weighted points across all of its alumni, and Efficiency APS divides Raw APS by total alumni to show placement quality per alumnus, independent of size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which JUCO region or conference has the highest Alumni Placement Score?
NJCAA Region 5 (New Mexico & Western Texas) leads all 41 regions and conferences with a combined 3,196.4 Raw APS, built on 722 alumni currently active on four-year rosters. Region 8 (Florida, 2,879.9) and Region 6 (Kansas, 2,589.6) rank second and third.
Which conference outside NJCAA ranks highest among the top JUCO regions and conferences?
The Orange Empire Conference (3C2A) is the highest-ranked group outside NJCAA at #19, with 1,057.7 Raw APS from 8 colleges. Big 8 (3C2A) follows at #20, and the NWAC Eastern Region is the top NWAC group at #24.
Which JUCO region or conference has the highest average Raw APS per college?
NJCAA Region 11 (Iowa & Northeast Nebraska) leads at 145.1 average Raw APS per college, ahead of Region 14 (139.6) and Region 6 (136.3). The Orange Empire Conference ranks 4th at 132.2.
Which region or conference has the best Overall Efficiency APS?
Region 8 (Florida) and Region 14 (Eastern Texas & Southwestern Louisiana) share the highest Overall Efficiency APS at 4.59. The Orange Empire Conference is next at 4.50.
Where can I see the colleges within the top JUCO regions and conferences?
Click any region or conference name in the table to open its own leaderboard, which ranks every college in that group by Alumni Placement Score.
