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

Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 7 schools for Student Athletes (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

To arm you with the information you need, 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 7 Colleges for Student Athletes (Division II)

Learn more about these schools below:

1

University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth, MN

84% Academic Quality Percentile

Leading the list is University of Minnesota-Duluth, our #1 college for Student Athletes (Division II). Located in Duluth, MN, University of Minnesota-Duluth is a public institution.

2

Winona State University
Winona, MN

84% Academic Quality Percentile

Winona State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Winona, MN, Winona State University is a public institution.

3

Bemidji State University
Bemidji, MN

81% Academic Quality Percentile

Bemidji State University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Bemidji, MN, Bemidji State University is a public institution.

4

University of Minnesota-Crookston
Crookston, MN

74% Academic Quality Percentile

University of Minnesota-Crookston earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Crookston, MN, University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public institution.

5

Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead, MN

78% Academic Quality Percentile

Minnesota State University Moorhead earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Moorhead, MN, Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution.

6

Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN

81% Academic Quality Percentile

Saint Cloud State University landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Saint Cloud, MN.

7

Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN

74% Academic Quality Percentile

Southwest Minnesota State University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Marshall, MN, Southwest Minnesota 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. Programs are scored on 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.