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Stevens Institute of Technology tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Hoboken, NJ, Stevens Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 21 schools 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Stevens Institute of Technology tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Hoboken, NJ, Stevens Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution.
The College of New Jersey earned the #2 place for student athletes. The College of New Jersey is a public school based in Ewing, NJ.
Seton Hall University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in South Orange, NJ.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick earned the #4 place for student athletes. Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public school based in New Brunswick, NJ.
New Jersey Institute of Technology is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #5. Based in Newark, NJ, New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public institution.
Monmouth University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in West Long Branch, NJ, Monmouth University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Rowan University landed the #7 spot this year. Rowan University is a public school based in Glassboro, NJ.
Stockton University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Galloway, NJ, Stockton University is a public institution.
Drew University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Madison, NJ, Drew University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Teaneck, NJ, Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus is a private not-for-profit institution.
Princeton University landed the #11 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Princeton, NJ.
Rider University placed #12 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Rider University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lawrenceville, NJ.
Montclair State University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Montclair, NJ.
Georgian Court University placed #14 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Georgian Court University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lakewood, NJ.
Caldwell University landed the #15 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Caldwell, NJ.
Saint Peter's University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Jersey City, NJ, Saint Peter's University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Felician University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Felician University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lodi, NJ.
William Paterson University of New Jersey did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in Wayne, NJ, William Paterson University of New Jersey is a public institution.
Kean University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Based in Union, NJ, Kean University is a public institution.
Saint Elizabeth University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Located in Morristown, NJ, Saint Elizabeth University is a private not-for-profit institution.
New Jersey City University landed the #21 spot this year. Based in Jersey City, NJ, New Jersey City 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. 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.
