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No school ranked higher than University of Chicago this year for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Chicago, IL, University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamChoosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 17 programs for Student Athletes (Division III) 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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No school ranked higher than University of Chicago this year for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Chicago, IL, University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution.
Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Bloomington, IL, Illinois Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #3 spot for Student Athletes (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Chicago, IL.
North Central College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Lake Forest College landed the #5 spot for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Elmhurst University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Elmhurst, IL.
Knox College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Galesburg, IL, Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Illinois College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Jacksonville, IL, Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution.
North Park University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Chicago, IL, North Park University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Aurora University placed #10 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Aurora, IL, Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Millikin University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Millikin University is a private not-for-profit school based in Decatur, IL.
Concordia University-Chicago placed #12 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in River Forest, IL.
Blackburn College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Carlinville, IL, Blackburn College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Greenville University landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Greenville, IL, Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Rockford University placed #15 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Rockford, IL.
Eureka College landed the #16 spot this year. Based in Eureka, IL, Eureka College is a private not-for-profit institution.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
See our data sources and methodologies.