2026 Best Colleges for Student Athletes in Utah

Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 7 colleges for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

To help you decide, 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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Top 7 Colleges for Student Athletes

Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:

1

University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT

87% Academic Quality Percentile

Our analysis found University of Utah to be the best college for Student Athletes in Utah. Located in Salt Lake City, UT, University of Utah is a public institution.

2

Utah State University
Logan, UT

83% Academic Quality Percentile

Utah State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Logan, UT, Utah State University is a public institution.

3

Brigham Young University
Provo, UT

90% Academic Quality Percentile

Brigham Young University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Provo, UT.

4

Weber State University
Ogden, UT

85% Academic Quality Percentile

Weber State University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #4. This public school is set in Ogden, UT.

5

Utah Valley University
Orem, UT

83% Academic Quality Percentile

Utah Valley University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Orem, UT, Utah Valley University is a public institution.

6

Southern Utah University
Cedar City, UT

82% Academic Quality Percentile

Southern Utah University placed #6 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Cedar City, UT, Southern Utah University is a public institution.

7

Utah Tech University
Saint George, UT

77% Academic Quality Percentile

Utah Tech University landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Saint George, UT, Utah Tech University is a public institution.

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Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.

The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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).

Read more about our data sources and methodologies.