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University of Miami earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 13 programs 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
University of Miami earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Florida came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). This public school is set in Gainesville, FL.
University of Central Florida is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division I), at #3. Located in Orlando, FL, University of Central Florida is a public institution.
Florida State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Tallahassee, FL, Florida State University is a public institution.
Florida Gulf Coast University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Fort Myers, FL, Florida Gulf Coast University is a public institution.
University of South Florida ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). This public school is set in Tampa, FL.
Florida Atlantic University placed #7 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Boca Raton, FL, Florida Atlantic University is a public institution.
Florida International University landed the #8 spot this year. Florida International University is a public school based in Miami, FL.
University of North Florida did well this year, earning the #9 position. University of North Florida is a public school based in Jacksonville, FL.
Stetson University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in DeLand, FL.
Jacksonville University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Jacksonville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jacksonville, FL.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University placed #12 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Tallahassee, FL, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public institution.
Bethune-Cookman University did well this year, earning the #13 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Daytona Beach, FL.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
See our data sources and methodologies.