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Point Loma Nazarene University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in San Diego, CA.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 30 programs for Student Athletes (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Point Loma Nazarene University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in San Diego, CA.
Biola University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in La Mirada, CA, Biola University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Dominican University of California landed the #3 spot for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in San Rafael, CA, Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit institution.
Azusa Pacific University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Azusa, CA.
Westmont College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Santa Barbara, CA, Westmont College is a private not-for-profit institution.
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Pomona, CA, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona is a public institution.
Seattle Pacific University landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Seattle, WA.
Western Washington University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division II). Western Washington University is a public school based in Bellingham, WA.
Concordia University-Irvine came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Irvine, CA.
Fresno Pacific University landed the #10 spot this year. Fresno Pacific University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fresno, CA.
Saint Martin's University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in Lacey, WA, Saint Martin's University is a private not-for-profit institution.
California State University-San Bernardino landed the #12 spot this year. California State University-San Bernardino is a public school based in San Bernardino, CA.
California State University-Monterey Bay placed #13 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II). This public school is set in Seaside, CA.
Sonoma State University did well this year, earning the #14 position. This public school is set in Rohnert Park, CA.
Menlo College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Atherton, CA, Menlo College is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of California-Merced placed #16 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II). Based in Merced, CA, University of California-Merced is a public institution.
California State University-Stanislaus placed #17 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in Turlock, CA, California State University-Stanislaus is a public institution.
California State University-Chico landed the #18 spot this year. California State University-Chico is a public school based in Chico, CA.
Central Washington University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Ellensburg, WA, Central Washington University is a public institution.
California State University-East Bay did well this year, earning the #20 position. This public school is set in Hayward, CA.
University of Alaska Fairbanks landed the #21 spot this year. This public school is set in Fairbanks, AK.
California State University-Los Angeles came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Located in Los Angeles, CA, California State University-Los Angeles is a public institution.
California State University-San Marcos did well this year, earning the #23 position. California State University-San Marcos is a public school based in San Marcos, CA.
University of Alaska Anchorage did well this year, earning the #24 position. Based in Anchorage, AK, University of Alaska Anchorage is a public institution.
San Francisco State University landed the #25 spot this year. San Francisco State University is a public school based in San Francisco, CA.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
See our data sources and methodologies.
