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University of Denver tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Denver, CO, University of Denver is a private not-for-profit institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamChoosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 29 schools for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
University of Denver tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Denver, CO, University of Denver is a private not-for-profit institution.
Boise State University landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes. Based in Boise, ID, Boise State University is a public institution.
Colorado College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Colorado Springs, CO, Colorado College is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Colorado Boulder earned the #4 place for student athletes. University of Colorado Boulder is a public school based in Boulder, CO.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins landed the #5 spot for Student Athletes. Located in Fort Collins, CO, Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public institution.
University of Utah came in at #6 in this year's ranking. University of Utah is a public school based in Salt Lake City, UT.
Colorado School of Mines came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Golden, CO.
University of Wyoming landed the #8 spot this year. University of Wyoming is a public school based in Laramie, WY.
Brigham Young University landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Provo, UT.
Utah State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Utah State University is a public school based in Logan, UT.
Montana State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Bozeman, MT.
Northwest Nazarene University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Nampa, ID, Northwest Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Idaho placed #13 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. University of Idaho is a public school based in Moscow, ID.
Weber State University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Located in Ogden, UT, Weber State University is a public institution.
The University of Montana came in at #15 in this year's ranking. The University of Montana is a public school based in Missoula, MT.
Utah Valley University placed #16 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Orem, UT, Utah Valley University is a public institution.
Idaho State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Pocatello, ID.
University of Northern Colorado ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. University of Northern Colorado is a public school based in Greeley, CO.
University of Colorado Colorado Springs did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Colorado Springs, CO, University of Colorado Colorado Springs is a public institution.
Colorado Christian University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lakewood, CO.
Southern Utah University did well this year, earning the #21 position. This public school is set in Cedar City, UT.
Western Colorado University placed #22 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Gunnison, CO.
Fort Lewis College ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Durango, CO.
Utah Tech University placed #24 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Utah Tech University is a public school based in Saint George, UT.
Colorado Mesa University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Colorado Mesa University is a public school based in Grand Junction, CO.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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.