1
No school ranked higher than Oregon State University this year for Student Athletes. Oregon State University is a public school based in Corvallis, OR.
by our College Data Analytics TeamChoosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 9 colleges for Student Athletes 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Jump to the options below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Oregon State University this year for Student Athletes. Oregon State University is a public school based in Corvallis, OR.
Willamette University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #2. Based in Salem, OR, Willamette University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Oregon is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #3. University of Oregon is a public school based in Eugene, OR.
University of Portland landed the #4 spot for Student Athletes. Located in Portland, OR, University of Portland is a private not-for-profit institution.
Lewis & Clark College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution.
George Fox University landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Newberg, OR, George Fox University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Portland State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Portland, OR.
Linfield University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in McMinnville, OR, Linfield University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Western Oregon University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Monmouth, OR, Western Oregon University is a public institution.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.