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Our analysis found Washington University in St Louis to be the best college for Student Athletes in Missouri. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit school based in St. Louis, MO.
by our College Data Analytics TeamChoosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 20 schools for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Our analysis found Washington University in St Louis to be the best college for Student Athletes in Missouri. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit school based in St. Louis, MO.
University of Missouri-Columbia landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes. University of Missouri-Columbia is a public school based in Columbia, MO.
Saint Louis University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Louis, MO.
Rockhurst University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Located in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Maryville University of Saint Louis ranked #5 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Saint Louis, MO, Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Missouri-Kansas City came in at #6 in this year's ranking. University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public school based in Kansas City, MO.
Missouri State University-Springfield ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Located in Springfield, MO, Missouri State University-Springfield is a public institution.
Southeast Missouri State University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Cape Girardeau, MO, Southeast Missouri State University is a public institution.
Lindenwood University placed #9 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Based in Saint Charles, MO, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Drury University landed the #10 spot this year. Drury University is a private not-for-profit school based in Springfield, MO.
Missouri University of Science and Technology did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Rolla, MO, Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public institution.
Truman State University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Truman State University is a public school based in Kirksville, MO.
William Jewell College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Liberty, MO.
Northwest Missouri State University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Maryville, MO.
Webster University landed the #15 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Louis, MO.
University of Missouri-St Louis landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Saint Louis, MO, University of Missouri-St Louis is a public institution.
Missouri Western State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Saint Joseph, MO.
Southwest Baptist University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Located in Bolivar, MO, Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Central Missouri ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Located in Warrensburg, MO, University of Central Missouri is a public institution.
Missouri Southern State University placed #20 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This public school is set in Joplin, MO.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.
