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Vanderbilt University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Nashville, TN, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 119 colleges for Student Athletes (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual scores each program on 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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Vanderbilt University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Nashville, TN, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Duke University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Durham, NC, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Wake Forest University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit school based in Winston-Salem, NC.
Clemson University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Clemson University is a public school based in Clemson, SC.
University of Virginia-Main Campus ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA.
Tulane University of Louisiana ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in New Orleans, LA, Tulane University of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Miami landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Coral Gables, FL.
University of Richmond did well this year, earning the #8 position. University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit school based in University of Richmond, VA.
Auburn University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Auburn, AL, Auburn University is a public institution.
Elon University landed the #10 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Elon, NC.
The University of Alabama ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). The University of Alabama is a public school based in Tuscaloosa, AL.
University of Florida ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Gainesville, FL, University of Florida is a public institution.
Belmont University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Nashville, TN, Belmont University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Central Florida landed the #14 spot this year. This public school is set in Orlando, FL.
Furman University placed #15 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Greenville, SC, Furman University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus placed #16 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Atlanta, GA, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus is a public institution.
Mississippi State University placed #17 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Mississippi State, MS, Mississippi State University is a public institution.
University of Kentucky came in at #18 in this year's ranking. University of Kentucky is a public school based in Lexington, KY.
University of Mississippi did well this year, earning the #19 position. University of Mississippi is a public school based in University, MS.
University of South Carolina-Columbia came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Columbia, SC.
James Madison University did well this year, earning the #21 position. Based in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville came in at #22 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Knoxville, TN.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh did well this year, earning the #23 position. Located in Raleigh, NC, North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public institution.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public institution.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill placed #25 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public school based in Chapel Hill, NC.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.