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Washington University in St Louis tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit school based in St. Louis, MO.
by our College Data Analytics TeamChoosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 25 schools for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Washington University in St Louis tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit school based in St. Louis, MO.
Macalester College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States. Located in Saint Paul, MN, Macalester College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Carleton College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States. Carleton College is a private not-for-profit school based in Northfield, MN.
Grinnell College is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States, at #4. Located in Grinnell, IA, Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit institution.
St Olaf College is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States, at #5. Located in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Gustavus Adolphus College did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Peter, MN.
Luther College landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Decorah, IA, Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Cornell College placed #8 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Mount Vernon, IA, Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Winona, MN.
Martin Luther College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States. Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit school based in New Ulm, MN.
Loras College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA.
Nebraska Wesleyan University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Based in Lincoln, NE, Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution.
St Catherine University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Saint Paul, MN, St Catherine University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Northwestern-St Paul did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in Saint Paul, MN, University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution.
Simpson College landed the #15 spot this year. Simpson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Indianola, IA.
Wartburg College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Located in Waverly, IA, Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Webster University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Saint Louis, MO, Webster University is a private not-for-profit institution.
North Central University landed the #18 spot this year. North Central University is a private not-for-profit school based in Minneapolis, MN.
University of Minnesota-Morris came in at #19 in this year's ranking. University of Minnesota-Morris is a public school based in Morris, MN.
Buena Vista University landed the #20 spot this year. Based in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Hamline University placed #21 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States. Located in Saint Paul, MN, Hamline University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Augsburg University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Bethany Lutheran College did well this year, earning the #23 position. Located in Mankato, MN, Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Coe College came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Located in Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Dubuque did well this year, earning the #25 position. Located in Dubuque, IA, University of Dubuque 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. 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
See our data sources and methodologies.