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No school ranked higher than Tufts University this year for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Medford, MA, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 32 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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Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than Tufts University this year for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Medford, MA, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Williams College landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamstown, MA.
Amherst College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #4 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Cambridge, MA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution.
Babson College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Wellesley, MA, Babson College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Wellesley College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wellesley, MA.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Worcester, MA, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution.
Brandeis University placed #8 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Waltham, MA.
Emerson College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Emerson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA.
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Norton, MA, Wheaton College (Massachusetts) is a private not-for-profit institution.
Endicott College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Beverly, MA.
Wentworth Institute of Technology placed #12 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Boston, MA, Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution.
Springfield College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Springfield, MA, Springfield College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public school based in Buzzards Bay, MA.
Gordon College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Wenham, MA, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Western New England University landed the #16 spot this year. Based in Springfield, MA, Western New England University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Suffolk University placed #17 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Boston, MA, Suffolk University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Nichols College landed the #18 spot this year. Located in Dudley, MA, Nichols College is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Massachusetts-Boston did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Boston, MA, University of Massachusetts-Boston is a public institution.
Westfield State University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Based in Westfield, MA, Westfield State University is a public institution.
Worcester State University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Worcester State University is a public school based in Worcester, MA.
Lesley University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Lesley University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA.
Lasell University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Newton, MA, Lasell University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Fitchburg State University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Located in Fitchburg, MA, Fitchburg State University is a public institution.
Bridgewater State University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Based in Bridgewater, MA, Bridgewater State University is a public institution.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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.