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Rockhurst University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Kansas City, MO.
by our College Data Analytics TeamPicking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 33 schools for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Rockhurst University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Kansas City, MO.
Maryville University of Saint Louis landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Saint Louis, MO, Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Mary landed the #3 spot for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Bismarck, ND, University of Mary is a private not-for-profit institution.
Drury University landed the #4 spot for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Springfield, MO, Drury University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Minnesota-Duluth ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. University of Minnesota-Duluth is a public school based in Duluth, MN.
Missouri University of Science and Technology placed #6 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. This public school is set in Rolla, MO.
William Jewell College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Liberty, MO.
Northwest Missouri State University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Northwest Missouri State University is a public school based in Maryville, MO.
Pittsburg State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Pittsburg, KS, Pittsburg State University is a public institution.
University of Missouri-St Louis placed #10 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Saint Louis, MO, University of Missouri-St Louis is a public institution.
Newman University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Newman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Wichita, KS.
University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #12 spot this year. This public school is set in Kearney, NE.
Truman State University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Truman State University is a public school based in Kirksville, MO.
University of Sioux Falls came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Based in Sioux Falls, SD, University of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit institution.
Winona State University landed the #15 spot this year. This public school is set in Winona, MN.
Washburn University placed #16 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Topeka, KS, Washburn University is a public institution.
Emporia State University landed the #17 spot this year. Based in Emporia, KS, Emporia State University is a public institution.
University of Minnesota-Crookston did well this year, earning the #18 position. University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public school based in Crookston, MN.
Bemidji State University landed the #19 spot this year. This public school is set in Bemidji, MN.
Minnesota State University Moorhead came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Moorhead, MN.
Southwest Baptist University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Bolivar, MO, Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Central Missouri placed #22 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. University of Central Missouri is a public school based in Warrensburg, MO.
Missouri Western State University placed #23 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Saint Joseph, MO, Missouri Western State University is a public institution.
Saint Cloud State University landed the #24 spot this year. Based in Saint Cloud, MN, Saint Cloud State University is a public institution.
Fort Hays State University landed the #25 spot this year. Fort Hays State University is a public school based in Hays, KS.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
