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Vanderbilt University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Located in Nashville, TN, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 22 colleges 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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Vanderbilt University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Located in Nashville, TN, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Belmont University landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes. Belmont University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN.
Rhodes College is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #3. Based in Memphis, TN, Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Union University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #4. Based in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Knoxville, TN, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public institution.
Lipscomb University landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN.
Middle Tennessee State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Middle Tennessee State University is a public school based in Murfreesboro, TN.
University of Memphis did well this year, earning the #8 position. University of Memphis is a public school based in Memphis, TN.
Lee University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Located in Cleveland, TN, Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Tennessee Technological University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Cookeville, TN, Tennessee Technological University is a public institution.
Austin Peay State University landed the #11 spot this year. Located in Clarksville, TN, Austin Peay State University is a public institution.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Chattanooga, TN.
Christian Brothers University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Christian Brothers University is a private not-for-profit school based in Memphis, TN.
Lincoln Memorial University landed the #14 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Harrogate, TN.
Trevecca Nazarene University placed #15 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution.
East Tennessee State University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Johnson City, TN.
Tennessee State University placed #17 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Tennessee State University is a public school based in Nashville, TN.
The University of Tennessee-Martin came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Based in Martin, TN, The University of Tennessee-Martin is a public institution.
Carson-Newman University did well this year, earning the #19 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jefferson City, TN.
King University landed the #20 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bristol, TN.
Tusculum University did well this year, earning the #21 position. Tusculum University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greeneville, TN.
Lane College ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Lane College is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, TN.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.