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West Virginia University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Morgantown, WV.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 12 programs for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
West Virginia University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Morgantown, WV.
West Liberty University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #2. This public school is set in West Liberty, WV.
Marshall University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Huntington, WV.
Shepherd University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Shepherdstown, WV.
Fairmont State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Fairmont, WV.
Davis & Elkins College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Elkins, WV.
West Virginia Wesleyan College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Buckhannon, WV, West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Wheeling University placed #8 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Wheeling, WV, Wheeling University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Concord University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Athens, WV.
Bluefield State University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Bluefield State University is a public school based in Bluefield, WV.
West Virginia State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. This public school is set in Institute, WV.
Glenville State University placed #12 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Glenville, WV, Glenville State University is a public institution.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.