Johns Hopkins University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit school based in Baltimore, MD.
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 18 programs for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Johns Hopkins University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit school based in Baltimore, MD.
University of Maryland-College Park landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes. Located in College Park, MD, University of Maryland-College Park is a public institution.
Loyola University Maryland ranked #3 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Loyola University Maryland is a private not-for-profit school based in Baltimore, MD.
Towson University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Based in Towson, MD, Towson University is a public institution.
University of Maryland-Baltimore County earned the #5 place for student athletes. University of Maryland-Baltimore County is a public school based in Baltimore, MD.
St. Mary's College of Maryland placed #6 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in St. Mary's City, MD, St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public institution.
Salisbury University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Salisbury University is a public school based in Salisbury, MD.
Mount St. Mary's University landed the #8 spot this year. Mount St. Mary's University is a private not-for-profit school based in Emmitsburg, MD.
Stevenson University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Owings Mills, MD, Stevenson University is a private not-for-profit institution.
McDaniel College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. McDaniel College is a private not-for-profit school based in Westminster, MD.
Morgan State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Baltimore, MD, Morgan State University is a public institution.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore placed #12 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. University of Maryland Eastern Shore is a public school based in Princess Anne, MD.
Goucher College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Baltimore, MD, Goucher College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Coppin State University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Coppin State University is a public school based in Baltimore, MD.
Hood College landed the #15 spot this year. Located in Frederick, MD, Hood College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Frostburg State University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Frostburg, MD, Frostburg State University is a public institution.
Bowie State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Bowie State University is a public school based in Bowie, MD.
Notre Dame of Maryland University landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Baltimore, MD, Notre Dame of Maryland University is a private not-for-profit institution.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.