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Our analysis found University of Denver to be the best college for Student Athletes (Division I) in the Rocky Mountains Region. This private not-for-profit school is set in Denver, CO.
by our College Data Analytics TeamPicking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 17 schools for Student Athletes (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Our analysis found University of Denver to be the best college for Student Athletes (Division I) in the Rocky Mountains Region. This private not-for-profit school is set in Denver, CO.
Boise State University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Boise, ID, Boise State University is a public institution.
University of Colorado Boulder came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Boulder, CO, University of Colorado Boulder is a public institution.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Fort Collins, CO, Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public institution.
University of Utah landed the #5 spot for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Salt Lake City, UT, University of Utah is a public institution.
University of Wyoming ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). University of Wyoming is a public school based in Laramie, WY.
Utah State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Logan, UT, Utah State University is a public institution.
Brigham Young University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Brigham Young University is a private not-for-profit school based in Provo, UT.
Montana State University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Bozeman, MT, Montana State University is a public institution.
University of Idaho landed the #10 spot this year. University of Idaho is a public school based in Moscow, ID.
The University of Montana came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Missoula, MT, The University of Montana is a public institution.
Weber State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Ogden, UT, Weber State University is a public institution.
Utah Valley University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Orem, UT, Utah Valley University is a public institution.
Idaho State University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Pocatello, ID.
University of Northern Colorado landed the #15 spot this year. Based in Greeley, CO, University of Northern Colorado is a public institution.
Southern Utah University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Southern Utah University is a public school based in Cedar City, UT.
Utah Tech University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Saint George, UT, Utah Tech University is a public institution.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.