2026 Best Colleges for Student Athletes in Kansas

Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 8 schools for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

To help you decide, 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Use the shortcuts below.

Top 8 Colleges for Student Athletes

Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:

1

University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS

87% Academic Quality Percentile

University of Kansas earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Student Athletes. University of Kansas is a public school based in Lawrence, KS.

2

Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS

86% Academic Quality Percentile

Kansas State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Manhattan, KS.

3

Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, KS

82% Academic Quality Percentile

Pittsburg State University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Pittsburg State University is a public school based in Pittsburg, KS.

4

Wichita State University
Wichita, KS

80% Academic Quality Percentile

Wichita State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Located in Wichita, KS, Wichita State University is a public institution.

5

Emporia State University
Emporia, KS

79% Academic Quality Percentile

Emporia State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Emporia, KS, Emporia State University is a public institution.

6

Newman University
Wichita, KS

74% Academic Quality Percentile

Newman University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Wichita, KS, Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution.

7

Washburn University
Topeka, KS

79% Academic Quality Percentile

Washburn University placed #7 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Washburn University is a public school based in Topeka, KS.

8

Fort Hays State University
Hays, KS

81% Academic Quality Percentile

Fort Hays State University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Hays, KS, Fort Hays State University is a public institution.

See Other Sports

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.

This list is compiled 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

• NCAA Academic Progress Rate & Graduation Success Rate — National Collegiate Athletic Association (athlete academic outcomes).
• Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) — U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education (team participation, revenue, expenses, and aid).
• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) — National Center for Education Statistics (institutional data).

Read more about our data sources and methodologies.