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

Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 8 programs for Student Athletes (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

To help you decide, 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.

Find Your Fit

Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Jump to the options below.

Top 8 Colleges for Student Athletes (Division III)

Explore the leading programs below:

1

Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD

97% Academic Quality Percentile

Johns Hopkins University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution.

2

St. Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, MD

82% Academic Quality Percentile

St. Mary's College of Maryland ranked #2 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). This public school is set in St. Mary's City, MD.

3

Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD

85% Academic Quality Percentile

Salisbury University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division III), at #3. Located in Salisbury, MD, Salisbury University is a public institution.

4

Stevenson University
Owings Mills, MD

82% Academic Quality Percentile

Stevenson University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Owings Mills, MD, Stevenson University is a private not-for-profit institution.

5

McDaniel College
Westminster, MD

82% Academic Quality Percentile

McDaniel College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Westminster, MD, McDaniel College is a private not-for-profit institution.

6

Goucher College
Baltimore, MD

79% Academic Quality Percentile

Goucher College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Goucher College is a private not-for-profit school based in Baltimore, MD.

7

Hood College
Frederick, MD

82% Academic Quality Percentile

Hood College placed #7 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Frederick, MD, Hood College is a private not-for-profit institution.

8

Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD

84% Academic Quality Percentile

Notre Dame of Maryland University placed #8 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Baltimore, MD.

Browse Other Sports

Notes and References

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

This list is compiled 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.