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No school ranked higher than Emory University this year for Student Athletes. Located in Atlanta, GA, Emory University 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. We have ranked 24 colleges for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
No school ranked higher than Emory University this year for Student Athletes. Located in Atlanta, GA, Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus ranked #2 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Atlanta, GA.
Berry College earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mount Berry, GA.
University of Georgia is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #4. Based in Athens, GA, University of Georgia is a public institution.
Mercer University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Macon, GA, Mercer University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Georgia State University placed #6 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Atlanta, GA.
Kennesaw State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Kennesaw, GA, Kennesaw State University is a public institution.
Covenant College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Lookout Mountain, GA, Covenant College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Clark Atlanta University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Atlanta, GA, Clark Atlanta University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Oglethorpe University placed #10 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Atlanta, GA, Oglethorpe University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Georgia Southern University placed #11 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Statesboro, GA.
Young Harris College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Young Harris, GA, Young Harris College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Valdosta State University placed #13 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Valdosta, GA.
University of North Georgia came in at #14 in this year's ranking. University of North Georgia is a public school based in Dahlonega, GA.
LaGrange College placed #15 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Lagrange, GA, LaGrange College is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of West Georgia placed #16 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Carrollton, GA, University of West Georgia is a public institution.
Columbus State University placed #17 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Columbus, GA.
Piedmont University placed #18 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Piedmont University is a private not-for-profit school based in Demorest, GA.
Fort Valley State University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Fort Valley, GA.
Shorter University placed #20 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Rome, GA, Shorter University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Georgia Southwestern State University did well this year, earning the #21 position. This public school is set in Americus, GA.
Clayton State University landed the #22 spot this year. This public school is set in Morrow, GA.
Middle Georgia State University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Macon, GA.
Savannah State University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Savannah, GA, Savannah State University is a public institution.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.