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

For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 9 programs 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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Top 9 Colleges for Student Athletes (Division III)

Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:

1

Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA

88% Academic Quality Percentile

Leading the list is Grinnell College, our #1 college for Student Athletes (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Grinnell, IA.

2

Luther College
Decorah, IA

79% Academic Quality Percentile

Luther College is one of the top schools for Student Athletes (Division III), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Decorah, IA.

3

Cornell College
Mount Vernon, IA

78% Academic Quality Percentile

Cornell College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Cornell College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mount Vernon, IA.

4

Loras College
Dubuque, IA

76% Academic Quality Percentile

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

5

Wartburg College
Waverly, IA

81% Academic Quality Percentile

Wartburg College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Waverly, IA, Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution.

6

Simpson College
Indianola, IA

81% Academic Quality Percentile

Simpson College placed #6 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Indianola, IA, Simpson College is a private not-for-profit institution.

7

Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, IA

81% Academic Quality Percentile

Buena Vista University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution.

8

Coe College
Cedar Rapids, IA

75% Academic Quality Percentile

Coe College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Coe College is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedar Rapids, IA.

9

University of Dubuque
Dubuque, IA

74% Academic Quality Percentile

University of Dubuque came in at #9 in this year's ranking. University of Dubuque is a private not-for-profit school based in Dubuque, IA.

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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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.