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Leading the list is Northwestern University, our #1 college for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Evanston, IL, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 48 colleges for Student Athletes (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual weighs a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Northwestern University, our #1 college for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Evanston, IL, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Notre Dame earned the #2 place for student athletes. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit school based in Notre Dame, IN.
Ohio State University-Main Campus came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Columbus, OH, Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public institution.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor landed the #4 spot for Student Athletes (Division I). This public school is set in Ann Arbor, MI.
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Cincinnati, OH, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus is a public institution.
Indiana University-Bloomington ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). This public school is set in Bloomington, IN.
Loyola University Chicago landed the #7 spot this year. Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL.
University of Wisconsin-Madison came in at #8 in this year's ranking. University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public school based in Madison, WI.
Michigan State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign did well this year, earning the #10 position. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public school based in Champaign, IL.
Marquette University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Marquette University is a private not-for-profit school based in Milwaukee, WI.
Purdue University-Main Campus did well this year, earning the #12 position. Purdue University-Main Campus is a public school based in West Lafayette, IN.
DePaul University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Chicago, IL.
University of Toledo ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). University of Toledo is a public school based in Toledo, OH.
Bradley University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). Bradley University is a private not-for-profit school based in Peoria, IL.
Xavier University placed #16 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cincinnati, OH.
Miami University-Oxford did well this year, earning the #17 position. Miami University-Oxford is a public school based in Oxford, OH.
Ball State University landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Muncie, IN, Ball State University is a public institution.
Western Michigan University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Western Michigan University is a public school based in Kalamazoo, MI.
University of Illinois Chicago ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). University of Illinois Chicago is a public school based in Chicago, IL.
Ohio University-Main Campus landed the #21 spot this year. Ohio University-Main Campus is a public school based in Athens, OH.
University of Dayton landed the #22 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dayton, OH.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Bowling Green, OH.
Illinois State University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). This public school is set in Normal, IL.
Kent State University at Kent ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). This public school is set in Kent, OH.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.