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Colorado School of Mines earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). Colorado School of Mines is a public school based in Golden, CO.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 11 programs for Student Athletes (Division II) 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:
Colorado School of Mines earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). Colorado School of Mines is a public school based in Golden, CO.
Northwest Nazarene University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Nampa, ID.
Colorado Christian University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lakewood, CO.
University of Colorado Colorado Springs earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, University of Colorado Colorado Springs is a public institution.
Western Colorado University landed the #5 spot for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in Gunnison, CO, Western Colorado University is a public institution.
Fort Lewis College landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Durango, CO, Fort Lewis College is a public institution.
Metropolitan State University of Denver ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division II). Based in Denver, CO, Metropolitan State University of Denver is a public institution.
Colorado State University Pueblo came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Pueblo, CO, Colorado State University Pueblo is a public institution.
Colorado Mesa University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Colorado Mesa University is a public school based in Grand Junction, CO.
Montana State University Billings came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Billings, MT, Montana State University Billings is a public institution.
Adams State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division II). Based in Alamosa, CO, Adams State University is a public institution.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.