Ashland University participates in NCAA Division II for athletics. Ashland's athletic teams are known as the Eagles, and the colors are purple and gold. Ashland participates in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Ashland offers athletic scholarships in 10 men's and 10 women's sports – with the men competing in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, indoor and outdoor track, swimming and wrestling, and the women competing in basketball, cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. The University recently constructed a $23 million athletic complex that features a 5,200-seat football stadium, a 1,000-seat stadium for track & field and soccer, and a state-of-the-art training facility. Ashland students have won more than 650 All-America honors, 56 national championships and one Sullivan Award. Ashland also has been ranked in the Division II Sears Directors’ Cup standings. With more than 800 student athletes, Eagle athletics finished third in the 2011–2012 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup final winter standings. Ashland women's basketball went 33–2 and advanced to the NCAA Division II national championship game. Ashland University had a 33-game winning streak, the longest in the country for any Division II team, men or women.

• 2012 was the fifth year in school history that the Ashland University Eagles football team took a trip to the postseason, the third under Coach Lee Owens. This was Ashland University's highest ranking since becoming an NCAA Division II institution. 2012 also produced the first GLIAC football championship in school history. This is only the second team in school history to win 10 or more games in a season. This team was only the fourth at Ashland to end the regular season without a loss. The Eagles record in 2012 was 11–1.

• 2013 proved to be one of Ashland University's strongest years in athletics. Ten Ashland University Eagles became national champions between swimming and indoor track and field. The first national champions were seniors Julie Widmann and Rachel Ausdenmoore, junior Gaby Verdugo-Arzaluz and freshman Kaylyn Murphy who won the women's 200-yard freestyle relay at the national swim meet March 7, 2013. Widmann has won four national titles (3 relays, 1 individual). For track and field Richard Quick won a national title in the weight throw, 68-feet, 3.25-inches. Katie Nageotte also won a national title in pole-vault, 13-feet, 11.25-inches. The next set of national champions were the track 1600-meter relay team (Sophomore: Drew Windle, Senior: Cory Lamar, Junior: Jacob Cook, and Junior Keith Cleveland). Drew Windle also won a second national championship in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:48.75.

• 2013 was the first year in school history for an Ashland University Team to win a national championship. The Eagles Women's Basketball team had a 71–56 victory against Dowling College in the NCAA Division II national championship game. Ashland University is the second GLIAC team to win a women's basketball Division II national championship. Kari Daugherty was selected as the 2013 Women's Division II Bulletin player of the year, as well as the most outstanding player. Daugherty is the first Ashland University player to receive the Bulletin's player of the year award.

• 2013: Ashland University is ranked first in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings for the first time in school history with a compiled 589 points. This year AU also had Basketball's Kari Daugherty receive the NCAA II player of the year award for the second year in a row, and Track and Field's Drew Windle awarded the men's indoor track and field athlete of the year. 27 Ashland University Student-Athletes were recognized as All-Americans for the winter sports season.

There is a medical service.

The Student Government Association acts as the student voice and organizes a wide variety of activities for the overall development of the students. There are several student clubs and organizations on the campus. Students can either join the existing one or create a new organization/ club. Some of the special interest clubs include Ashland Commuter Eagles, Black Student Union,2nd Amendment Club, Anime Club, Students for Life, College Republicans, Colleges Against Cancer, International Club, Music Appreciation Club, Tuffy’s Troops, and Young Democrats.

Greek life has a strong presence on the campus. There are several fraternities and sororities governed by the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council. The Greek organizations include Tau Kappa Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Psi, Alpha Delta Pi, Phi Mu, Delta Zeta, and Alpha Phi.