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Rice University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Rice University is a private not-for-profit school based in Houston, TX.
by our College Data Analytics TeamChoosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 47 schools for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Rice University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Rice University is a private not-for-profit school based in Houston, TX.
Baylor University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waco, TX.
Southern Methodist University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #3. Located in Dallas, TX, Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution.
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #4. Based in Austin, TX, The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution.
Texas Christian University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Fort Worth, TX, Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Abilene Christian University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Abilene, TX.
Texas A&M University-College Station placed #7 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in College Station, TX, Texas A&M University-College Station is a public institution.
University of Dallas landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Irving, TX, University of Dallas is a private not-for-profit institution.
Dallas Baptist University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Located in Dallas, TX, Dallas Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Austin College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Austin College is a private not-for-profit school based in Sherman, TX.
Texas Tech University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Lubbock, TX, Texas Tech University is a public institution.
The University of Texas at San Antonio placed #12 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in San Antonio, TX.
The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Arlington, TX, The University of Texas at Arlington is a public institution.
University of Houston did well this year, earning the #14 position. University of Houston is a public school based in Houston, TX.
LeTourneau University did well this year, earning the #15 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Longview, TX.
Texas State University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Texas State University is a public school based in San Marcos, TX.
Sam Houston State University landed the #17 spot this year. This public school is set in Huntsville, TX.
Texas Lutheran University placed #18 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Seguin, TX.
Lubbock Christian University landed the #19 spot this year. Located in Lubbock, TX, Lubbock Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of North Texas ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Denton, TX, University of North Texas is a public institution.
The University of Texas at El Paso did well this year, earning the #21 position. The University of Texas at El Paso is a public school based in El Paso, TX.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor did well this year, earning the #22 position. Located in Belton, TX, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is a private not-for-profit institution.
Houston Christian University placed #23 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Houston, TX, Houston Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley placed #24 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Located in Edinburg, TX, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution.
Texas A & M International University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Laredo, TX.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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.