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No school ranked higher than University of Chicago this year for Student Athletes (Division III). University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL.
by our College Data Analytics TeamChoosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 70 colleges for Student Athletes (Division III) 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than University of Chicago this year for Student Athletes (Division III). University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL.
Case Western Reserve University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division III), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cleveland, OH.
Denison University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Granville, OH, Denison University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #4 spot for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Bloomington, IL, Illinois Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Kalamazoo College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Kalamazoo, MI, Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit institution.
DePauw University placed #6 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Greencastle, IN, DePauw University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Kenyon College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology placed #8 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Terre Haute, IN.
Calvin University landed the #9 spot this year. Calvin University is a private not-for-profit school based in Grand Rapids, MI.
Hope College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Holland, MI.
Oberlin College ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Oberlin, OH, Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution.
The College of Wooster landed the #12 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wooster, OH.
John Carroll University landed the #13 spot this year. Located in University Heights, OH, John Carroll University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Lawrence University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Appleton, WI, Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Milwaukee School of Engineering did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Milwaukee, WI, Milwaukee School of Engineering is a private not-for-profit institution.
Ohio Northern University placed #16 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Ada, OH, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #17 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Chicago, IL.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in La Crosse, WI, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public institution.
North Central College landed the #19 spot this year. Based in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Eau Claire, WI, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public institution.
Franciscan University of Steubenville did well this year, earning the #21 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Steubenville, OH.
Lake Forest College placed #22 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Earlham College came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Earlham College is a private not-for-profit school based in Richmond, IN.
Baldwin Wallace University landed the #24 spot this year. Based in Berea, OH, Baldwin Wallace University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Elmhurst University landed the #25 spot this year. Located in Elmhurst, IL, Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution.
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. 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.