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Our analysis found University of Miami to be the best college for Student Athletes in Florida. Located in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami 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 25 colleges for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual weighs 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found University of Miami to be the best college for Student Athletes in Florida. Located in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Florida earned the #2 place for student athletes. University of Florida is a public school based in Gainesville, FL.
University of Central Florida came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Orlando, FL.
Florida State University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Tallahassee, FL, Florida State University is a public institution.
Eckerd College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Eckerd College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Petersburg, FL.
Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Fort Myers, FL, Florida Gulf Coast University is a public institution.
Rollins College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Rollins College is a private not-for-profit school based in Winter Park, FL.
University of South Florida placed #8 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Tampa, FL.
Nova Southeastern University placed #9 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Florida Atlantic University landed the #10 spot this year. Florida Atlantic University is a public school based in Boca Raton, FL.
Florida Institute of Technology placed #11 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Melbourne, FL, Florida Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution.
Florida International University placed #12 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Florida International University is a public school based in Miami, FL.
Florida Southern College placed #13 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Lakeland, FL, Florida Southern College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Stetson University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Stetson University is a private not-for-profit school based in DeLand, FL.
Jacksonville University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Located in Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of North Florida ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Jacksonville, FL.
University of West Florida ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Located in Pensacola, FL, University of West Florida is a public institution.
Lynn University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in Boca Raton, FL, Lynn University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Palm Beach Atlantic University placed #19 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in West Palm Beach, FL.
Flagler College landed the #20 spot this year. Based in Saint Augustine, FL, Flagler College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University landed the #21 spot this year. Located in Tallahassee, FL, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public institution.
Barry University placed #22 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Miami, FL, Barry University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Saint Leo University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Leo, FL.
Bethune-Cookman University landed the #24 spot this year. Bethune-Cookman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Daytona Beach, FL.
Edward Waters University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Jacksonville, FL, Edward Waters University is a private not-for-profit institution.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.