Levels & Programs

How Competitive Gymnastics Programs Work in the U.S.

11 Min Read

USA Gymnastics, the sport’s national governing body, runs two competitive programs for girls: the Development Program, with numbered Levels 1–10, and Xcel, with six divisions from Bronze to Sapphire. Elite and college gymnastics come later, as separate routes rather than extra levels, and boys have their own levels.

Contents

Each program has its own rules, entry scores and championships. The table compares them, the sections below explain where each path leads, and our specialist guides, linked throughout, hold the detailed rules for every level. This guide covers USA Gymnastics and NCAA college gymnastics; some gyms also compete under other organizations’ rules.

U.S. Gymnastics Programs at a Glance

ProgramLevels or divisionsHow routines are built and scoredWhere it leads
Development Program (DP), USA GymnasticsLevels 1–10Set routines at Levels 1–5; at Levels 6–10 the coach builds routines within each level’s rules. Judges deduct from a starting score of up to 10.0.State, regional and national championships; Level 10 is the top level
Xcel, USA GymnasticsBronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, SapphireRoutines built from a wide choice of skills in every division. Judges deduct from a starting score of up to 10.0.State and regional championships; a national meet for Platinum to Sapphire from 2027
Elite, USA GymnasticsJunior and seniorInternational (FIG) rules: a difficulty score with no fixed maximum, plus executionClassic meets, U.S. Championships, national team, international events
College, NCAADivisions I, II and IIIWomen: Level 10 rules with NCAA changes, 10.0 maximum. Men: FIG rules with NCAA changesConference meets and the NCAA Championships
Boys’ programs, USA GymnasticsClub Track; National Track Levels 3–10; eliteSet routines at Levels 3–6, optional routines at Levels 7–10State, regional and national championships; college; elite

For a girl joining a USA Gymnastics team, the first real choice is between the Development Program and Xcel. Elite and college are later decisions, and neither is the automatic next step after Level 10.

The Development Program: Levels 1–10

The Development Program, formerly known as the Junior Olympic or JO program, has three stages:

  • Levels 1–3 (developmental): basic skills, which many gyms use for pre-team training or introductory meets. A gymnast can start Level 1 at age 4.
  • Levels 4–5 (compulsory): every gymnast at a level performs the same set routines.
  • Levels 6–10 (optional): the coach builds each routine within the level’s rules. Levels 6–9 limit difficulty; Level 10 doesn’t restrict skill choice.

Gymnasts move up one level at a time by earning a mobility score, a minimum all-around score at a sanctioned meet, and our guide to USAG mobility scores lists every score and exception. The compulsory levels build toward the State Championships, and the Level 10 season ends at the Development Program National Championships. The Development Program levels guide explains what changes at each level, and our overview of the optional program covers Levels 6–10.

Xcel: Bronze to Sapphire

Xcel is USA Gymnastics’ alternative competitive program. In all six divisions, coaches build routines from a wide choice of skills, and USA Gymnastics says the program is meant to give athletes a competitive opportunity whatever their age, ability or training commitment in hours and money.

That flexibility doesn’t make Xcel easy or low-pressure by design. Bronze is an entry division, but Diamond and Sapphire require saltos on floor and allow D-rated skills, and the training load depends on the division and the club. Our Xcel levels guide walks through all six divisions.

Bronze, Silver and Gold have no entry score. Platinum, Diamond and Sapphire need a 32.00 all-around at the division below, or an 8.50 as an Individual Event Specialist (IES), a gymnast who competes three events or fewer. That’s a separate specialist route, explained in our guide to all-around vs. event specialist competition, not a lower all-around target. Championships run at state and regional level, and from June 2027 the top Platinum, Diamond and Sapphire gymnasts at each regional meet also qualify for a new national meet, the National Xcelebration.

Elite: The International Route

Elite is USA Gymnastics’ program for gymnasts aiming at the national team and international competition. It uses the World Gymnastics (FIG) Code of Points, where the difficulty score has no fixed maximum. Entry is by score at elite qualifying meets, which lead to the Winter Cup, the Classic meets and the U.S. Championships, where the junior and senior national teams are chosen each year. In 2026, juniors are 11–15 and seniors 16 and older.

The Hopes and TOPs programs prepare younger athletes, but their gymnasts aren’t classified as elite. Nor is elite a “Level 11”: it’s a separate program, with its own rules for moving back to the Development Program. Our guides to qualifying for U.S. elite and Level 10 vs. elite cover the details.

College Gymnastics: NCAA Women and Men

College teams are the other main destination. In October 2026, the NCAA’s directory listed 83 schools with women’s gymnastics, 61 of them in Division I, and 15 with men’s. Women’s teams from all three divisions compete for one national title, and 36 teams reach the postseason.

Women’s college routines follow USA Gymnastics’ Level 10 rules with NCAA modifications, so individual scores still top out at 10.0, while college men use the international Code with NCAA modifications. Our guides to NCAA women’s scoring and NCAA vs. elite gymnastics compare the experiences.

Boys’ and Men’s Programs in Brief

Boys compete on six events and follow their own USA Gymnastics pathways. Essential Elements Levels 1–3 teach the basics, mainly to pre-competitive boys aged 4 to 10. The National Track then has compulsory Levels 3–6, open from the year a boy turns 6, and optional Levels 7–10, which lead to state, regional and national championships. The Club Track is a lower-commitment competitive option from age 5, and the elite track leads toward the national team.

College places for men are scarce: USA Gymnastics estimates about 75 openings a year for athletes from its optional and elite tracks. Our guide to men’s gymnastics levels explains where beginners start.

Choosing a Path: Hours, Cost and Pressure Vary by Club

USA Gymnastics sets each program’s skills, scores and ages, but not how many hours a team trains or what a season costs. Each club decides its schedule, fees, meet plans and coaching style, so two Xcel Gold teams, or two Level 7 teams, can feel very different.

USA Gymnastics’ own guide to the boys’ pathways shows how wide the range can be: as few as about 4 hours a week in the Club Track, 4–12 hours at the compulsory levels and typically 15–25 hours at Levels 8–10. It puts club fees at roughly $100–$400 a month for compulsory teams and $200–$600 for optional teams, before meet fees, travel and uniforms.

Before choosing a team, ask for the weekly hours, the full season cost, the planned meets and how the gym handles a request to train less or switch programs. Pressure is harder to put in writing, so watch a practice and ask how coaches decide when a gymnast moves up. Our guide to what gymnastics costs lists the fees worth asking about.

Common Questions

Can a gymnast switch between Xcel and the Development Program?

Yes, within USA Gymnastics’ entry rules. A DP gymnast can enter listed Xcel divisions after competing all-around at the right level. Xcel scores don’t count toward DP mobility, so an Xcel gymnast normally joins the DP at Level 4 or below unless a petition is approved. Our guide to Xcel vs. the Development Program has the entry charts.

Do you have to be elite to compete in college?

No. NCAA women’s gymnastics uses Level 10 rules with NCAA changes, and Level 10 gymnasts can be recruited without ever competing elite, although no level guarantees a place.

What does “8.50 IES” mean on a mobility chart?

It’s the Individual Event Specialist option: an 8.50 instead of the all-around score for moving up from DP Levels 7, 8 and 9 and from Xcel Gold, Platinum and Diamond.

How old do gymnasts have to be to compete?

Development Program Level 1 starts at age 4 and Xcel Bronze at 5. Boys can join the compulsory National Track from the year they turn 6 and the Club Track at 5. Our guide to gymnastics age requirements covers every level.

Final Takeaway

USA Gymnastics offers girls two competitive programs: the Development Program, which moves through numbered levels and begins with set routines, and Xcel, which gives coaches more choice of skills from the first division. Both score on a 10.0 system and have their own move-up rules.

Elite and college gymnastics come later and are separate choices, not extra levels. Neither program is automatically harder, cheaper or calmer than the other. The club sets the hours, fees and atmosphere, so compare the teams your gymnast can actually join.

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