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Clark Atlanta University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). Based in Atlanta, GA, Clark Atlanta University is a private not-for-profit institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamPicking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 12 schools for Student Athletes (Division II) 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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Clark Atlanta University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). Based in Atlanta, GA, Clark Atlanta University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Young Harris College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Young Harris, GA, Young Harris College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Valdosta State University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division II), at #3. Located in Valdosta, GA, Valdosta State University is a public institution.
University of North Georgia came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). Based in Dahlonega, GA, University of North Georgia is a public institution.
University of West Georgia came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in Carrollton, GA, University of West Georgia is a public institution.
Shorter University landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Rome, GA, Shorter University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Columbus State University placed #7 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II). Columbus State University is a public school based in Columbus, GA.
Fort Valley State University placed #8 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II). Fort Valley State University is a public school based in Fort Valley, GA.
Clayton State University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Morrow, GA, Clayton State University is a public institution.
Georgia Southwestern State University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Americus, GA, Georgia Southwestern State University is a public institution.
Middle Georgia State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in Macon, GA, Middle Georgia State University is a public institution.
Savannah State University landed the #12 spot this year. Savannah State University is a public school based in Savannah, GA.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.