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Carnegie Mellon University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes. Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Pittsburgh, PA.
by our College Data Analytics TeamPicking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 75 colleges for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Carnegie Mellon University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes. Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Pittsburgh, PA.
Swarthmore College is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #2. Based in Swarthmore, PA, Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Haverford College landed the #3 spot for Student Athletes. Haverford College is a private not-for-profit school based in Haverford, PA.
Franklin and Marshall College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lancaster, PA.
Gettysburg College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Gettysburg, PA.
Villanova University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Villanova, PA, Villanova University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Dickinson College placed #7 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Carlisle, PA.
Muhlenberg College landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Allentown, PA, Muhlenberg College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Lafayette College placed #9 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Lafayette College is a private not-for-profit school based in Easton, PA.
University of Scranton did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Scranton, PA, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit institution.
Lehigh University landed the #11 spot this year. Lehigh University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bethlehem, PA.
Temple University placed #12 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Temple University is a public school based in Philadelphia, PA.
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution.
Drexel University placed #14 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Philadelphia, PA, Drexel University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Bucknell University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Bucknell University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lewisburg, PA.
Thomas Jefferson University placed #16 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Philadelphia, PA, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Elizabethtown College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Elizabethtown, PA, Elizabethtown College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Messiah University placed #18 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Mechanicsburg, PA, Messiah University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Philadelphia, PA.
Gannon University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Erie, PA, Gannon University is a private not-for-profit institution.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #21 spot this year. This public school is set in West Chester, PA.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This public school is set in University Park, PA.
Moravian University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bethlehem, PA.
Ursinus College ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Collegeville, PA.
Seton Hill University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Greensburg, PA.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.