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

For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 5 programs for Student Athletes (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

So you can compare your options, 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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Top 5 Colleges for Student Athletes (Division II)

Learn more about these schools below:

1

Harding University
Searcy, AR

85% Academic Quality Percentile

Harding University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Searcy, AR.

2

Ouachita Baptist University
Arkadelphia, AR

76% Academic Quality Percentile

Ouachita Baptist University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Arkadelphia, AR.

3

Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR

75% Academic Quality Percentile

Arkansas Tech University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division II), at #3. This public school is set in Russellville, AR.

4

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Fort Smith, AR

72% Academic Quality Percentile

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). This public school is set in Fort Smith, AR.

5

Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, AR

70% Academic Quality Percentile

Henderson State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Arkadelphia, AR, Henderson State University is a public institution.

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Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.

The ranking above is published 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).

Read more about our data sources and methodologies.