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Leading the list is University of Tulsa, our #1 college for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tulsa, OK.
by our College Data Analytics TeamFor student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 15 schools 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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is University of Tulsa, our #1 college for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tulsa, OK.
Oklahoma Baptist University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Shawnee, OK, Oklahoma Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Oklahoma Christian University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Edmond, OK.
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Stillwater, OK.
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Norman, OK, University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus is a public institution.
Oral Roberts University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Tulsa, OK, Oral Roberts University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Southern Nazarene University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bethany, OK.
University of Central Oklahoma did well this year, earning the #8 position. University of Central Oklahoma is a public school based in Edmond, OK.
Northeastern State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Tahlequah, OK, Northeastern State University is a public institution.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University placed #10 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a public school based in Weatherford, OK.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Durant, OK, Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public institution.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Alva, OK, Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a public institution.
Rogers State University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Claremore, OK, Rogers State University is a public institution.
Cameron University placed #14 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Lawton, OK.
East Central University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Ada, OK, East Central 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. 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
See our data sources and methodologies.
