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Boston College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamChoosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 23 schools for Student Athletes (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Boston College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Boston University landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Northeastern University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division I), at #3. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA.
University of Connecticut came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). University of Connecticut is a public school based in Storrs, CT.
Quinnipiac University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Hamden, CT, Quinnipiac University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Providence College did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Providence, RI.
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Durham, NH, University of New Hampshire-Main Campus is a public institution.
Fairfield University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Fairfield, CT.
College of the Holy Cross came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Worcester, MA.
University of Rhode Island placed #10 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Kingston, RI, University of Rhode Island is a public institution.
University of Vermont placed #11 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Burlington, VT, University of Vermont is a public institution.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Amherst, MA, University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public institution.
Harvard University placed #13 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Harvard University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA.
Bryant University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Smithfield, RI, Bryant University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Yale University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in New Haven, CT, Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Dartmouth College did well this year, earning the #16 position. Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit school based in Hanover, NH.
Merrimack College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell placed #18 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). This public school is set in Lowell, MA.
Stonehill College came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Easton, MA.
Brown University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Providence, RI.
Sacred Heart University did well this year, earning the #21 position. Located in Fairfield, CT, Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Maine did well this year, earning the #22 position. University of Maine is a public school based in Orono, ME.
Central Connecticut State University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Located in New Britain, CT, Central Connecticut State University is a public institution.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.