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Grinnell College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes. Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit school based in Grinnell, IA.
by our College Data Analytics TeamChoosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 14 programs for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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:
Grinnell College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Student Athletes. Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit school based in Grinnell, IA.
Luther College landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Decorah, IA.
Iowa State University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #3. This public school is set in Ames, IA.
Drake University landed the #4 spot for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Des Moines, IA.
University of Iowa ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. University of Iowa is a public school based in Iowa City, IA.
University of Northern Iowa did well this year, earning the #6 position. University of Northern Iowa is a public school based in Cedar Falls, IA.
Cornell College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mount Vernon, IA.
Loras College landed the #8 spot this year. Loras College is a private not-for-profit school based in Dubuque, IA.
Wartburg College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waverly, IA.
Simpson College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Indianola, IA.
Buena Vista University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Upper Iowa University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Fayette, IA, Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Coe College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cedar Rapids, IA.
University of Dubuque came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.