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No school ranked higher than Clemson University this year for Student Athletes. Located in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 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.
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No school ranked higher than Clemson University this year for Student Athletes. Located in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution.
Furman University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Furman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greenville, SC.
University of South Carolina-Columbia earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Columbia, SC.
Wofford College earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC.
North Greenville University landed the #5 spot for Student Athletes. North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tigerville, SC.
College of Charleston landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Charleston, SC.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Located in Charleston, SC, Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public institution.
Coastal Carolina University landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Conway, SC, Coastal Carolina University is a public institution.
Southern Wesleyan University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Central, SC, Southern Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Lander University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Greenwood, SC, Lander University is a public institution.
Presbyterian College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit school based in Clinton, SC.
Charleston Southern University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Charleston Southern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Charleston, SC.
University of South Carolina-Upstate placed #13 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Spartanburg, SC, University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public institution.
Winthrop University placed #14 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Rock Hill, SC, Winthrop University is a public institution.
Claflin University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Orangeburg, SC, Claflin University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Converse University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Spartanburg, SC, Converse University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of South Carolina Aiken landed the #17 spot this year. Based in Aiken, SC, University of South Carolina Aiken is a public institution.
Erskine College did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in Due West, SC, Erskine College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Francis Marion University placed #19 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Florence, SC, Francis Marion University is a public institution.
Newberry College landed the #20 spot this year. Newberry College is a private not-for-profit school based in Newberry, SC.
University of South Carolina Beaufort landed the #21 spot this year. This public school is set in Bluffton, SC.
South Carolina State University did well this year, earning the #22 position. Located in Orangeburg, SC, South Carolina State University is a public institution.
Coker University landed the #23 spot this year. Based in Hartsville, SC, Coker University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Benedict College placed #24 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Columbia, SC.
Allen University placed #25 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Columbia, SC, Allen University is a private not-for-profit institution.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.