2026 Best Colleges for Student Athletes in District of Columbia

For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 7 schools for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

To help you decide, 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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Top 7 Colleges for Student Athletes

Explore the leading programs below:

1

George Washington University
Washington, DC

92% Academic Quality Percentile

Leading the list is George Washington University, our #1 college for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Washington, DC.

2

American University
Washington, DC

92% Academic Quality Percentile

American University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #2. Based in Washington, DC, American University is a private not-for-profit institution.

3

Georgetown University
Washington, DC

95% Academic Quality Percentile

Georgetown University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Located in Washington, DC, Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution.

4

Howard University
Washington, DC

81% Academic Quality Percentile

Howard University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Located in Washington, DC, Howard University is a private not-for-profit institution.

5

Gallaudet University
Washington, DC

67% Academic Quality Percentile

Gallaudet University landed the #5 spot for Student Athletes. Located in Washington, DC, Gallaudet University is a private not-for-profit institution.

6

Trinity Washington University
Washington, DC

74% Academic Quality Percentile

Trinity Washington University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Washington, DC.

7

University of the District of Columbia
Washington, DC

73% Academic Quality Percentile

University of the District of Columbia ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Washington, DC, University of the District of Columbia is a public institution.

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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. 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

• 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.