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University of Virginia-Main Campus tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). This public school is set in Charlottesville, VA.
by our College Data Analytics TeamPicking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 14 programs for Student Athletes (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual evaluates each program using 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:
University of Virginia-Main Campus tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division I). This public school is set in Charlottesville, VA.
University of Richmond came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in University of Richmond, VA, University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University landed the #3 spot for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public institution.
James Madison University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution.
Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Richmond, VA, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution.
Liberty University landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Lynchburg, VA, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution.
William & Mary ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Williamsburg, VA, William & Mary is a public institution.
Old Dominion University did well this year, earning the #8 position. This public school is set in Norfolk, VA.
Longwood University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Farmville, VA, Longwood University is a public institution.
George Mason University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Fairfax, VA, George Mason University is a public institution.
Virginia Military Institute did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Lexington, VA, Virginia Military Institute is a public institution.
Hampton University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Based in Hampton, VA, Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Radford University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Radford University is a public school based in Radford, VA.
Norfolk State University landed the #14 spot this year. This public school is set in Norfolk, VA.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.