2026 Best Colleges for Student Athletes (Division III) in California

Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 8 schools for Student Athletes (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

To arm you with the information you need, 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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Top 8 Colleges for Student Athletes (Division III)

Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:

1

California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA

90% Academic Quality Percentile

Our analysis found California Institute of Technology to be the best college for Student Athletes (Division III) in California. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Pasadena, CA.

2

Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA

86% Academic Quality Percentile

Occidental College is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division III), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Los Angeles, CA.

3

University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA

88% Academic Quality Percentile

University of California-Santa Cruz ranked #3 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Santa Cruz, CA, University of California-Santa Cruz is a public institution.

4

Chapman University
Orange, CA

93% Academic Quality Percentile

Chapman University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Chapman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orange, CA.

5

California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA

84% Academic Quality Percentile

California Lutheran University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution.

6

University of Redlands
Redlands, CA

85% Academic Quality Percentile

University of Redlands ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution.

7

University of La Verne
La Verne, CA

84% Academic Quality Percentile

University of La Verne placed #7 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in La Verne, CA, University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution.

8

Whittier College
Whittier, CA

79% Academic Quality Percentile

Whittier College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Whittier College is a private not-for-profit school based in Whittier, CA.

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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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.