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

Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 7 colleges 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 7 Colleges for Student Athletes (Division III)

Learn more about these schools below:

1

Hope College
Holland, MI

80% Academic Quality Percentile

Hope College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III). Hope College is a private not-for-profit school based in Holland, MI.

2

Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, MI

81% Academic Quality Percentile

Kalamazoo College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Kalamazoo, MI, Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit institution.

3

Calvin University
Grand Rapids, MI

84% Academic Quality Percentile

Calvin University landed the #3 spot for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin University is a private not-for-profit institution.

4

Alma College
Alma, MI

76% Academic Quality Percentile

Alma College landed the #4 spot for Student Athletes (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Alma, MI.

5

Albion College
Albion, MI

73% Academic Quality Percentile

Albion College is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division III), at #5. Albion College is a private not-for-profit school based in Albion, MI.

6

Adrian College
Adrian, MI

73% Academic Quality Percentile

Adrian College placed #6 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Adrian College is a private not-for-profit school based in Adrian, MI.

7

The University of Olivet
Olivet, MI

71% Academic Quality Percentile

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

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Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.

This list is compiled 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

• 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.