2026 Best Colleges for Student Athletes (Division II) in Illinois

Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 5 programs for Student Athletes (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

To help you decide, 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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Top 5 Colleges for Student Athletes (Division II)

Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:

1

Lewis University
Romeoville, IL

85% Academic Quality Percentile

No school ranked higher than Lewis University this year for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in Romeoville, IL, Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution.

2

University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield, IL

80% Academic Quality Percentile

University of Illinois Springfield is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division II), at #2. University of Illinois Springfield is a public school based in Springfield, IL.

3

Roosevelt University
Chicago, IL

77% Academic Quality Percentile

Roosevelt University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II). Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL.

4

McKendree University
Lebanon, IL

73% Academic Quality Percentile

McKendree University earned the #4 place for student athletes. McKendree University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lebanon, IL.

5

Quincy University
Quincy, IL

67% Academic Quality Percentile

Quincy University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division II), at #5. Based in Quincy, IL, Quincy University is a private not-for-profit institution.

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Notes and References

*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

• NCAA Academic Progress Rate & Graduation Success Rate — National Collegiate Athletic Association (athlete academic outcomes).
• Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) — U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education (team participation, revenue, expenses, and aid).
• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) — National Center for Education Statistics (institutional data).

More about our data sources and methodologies.