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Connecticut College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Connecticut College is a private not-for-profit school based in New London, CT.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 6 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Connecticut College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Connecticut College is a private not-for-profit school based in New London, CT.
University of Hartford ranked #2 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). University of Hartford is a private not-for-profit school based in West Hartford, CT.
Eastern Connecticut State University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Willimantic, CT, Eastern Connecticut State University is a public institution.
Western Connecticut State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Danbury, CT, Western Connecticut State University is a public institution.
Albertus Magnus College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Albertus Magnus College is a private not-for-profit school based in New Haven, CT.
Mitchell College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Mitchell College is a private not-for-profit school based in New London, CT.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.