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Macalester College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III). Macalester College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 13 programs for Student Athletes (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Macalester College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III). Macalester College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN.
Carleton College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Northfield, MN, Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution.
St Olaf College landed the #3 spot for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Gustavus Adolphus College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Saint Peter, MN, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division III). Based in Winona, MN, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution.
St Catherine University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Saint Paul, MN, St Catherine University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Martin Luther College did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Ulm, MN.
University of Northwestern-St Paul ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). Located in Saint Paul, MN, University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution.
North Central University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Minneapolis, MN, North Central University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Minnesota-Morris came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Morris, MN, University of Minnesota-Morris is a public institution.
Hamline University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Saint Paul, MN, Hamline University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Augsburg University placed #12 among the best colleges for Student Athletes (Division III). Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit school based in Minneapolis, MN.
Bethany Lutheran College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Mankato, MN.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.