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

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

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

Learn more about these schools below:

1

Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, KS

82% Academic Quality Percentile

Pittsburg State University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). This public school is set in Pittsburg, KS.

2

Emporia State University
Emporia, KS

79% Academic Quality Percentile

Emporia State University landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in Emporia, KS, Emporia State University is a public institution.

3

Newman University
Wichita, KS

74% Academic Quality Percentile

Newman University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division II), at #3. Based in Wichita, KS, Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution.

4

Washburn University
Topeka, KS

79% Academic Quality Percentile

Washburn University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in Topeka, KS, Washburn University is a public institution.

5

Fort Hays State University
Hays, KS

81% Academic Quality Percentile

Fort Hays State University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division II), at #5. Located in Hays, KS, Fort Hays 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).

See our data sources and methodologies.