by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 219 programs for Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Stanford University, our #1 college for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Stanford, CA. The program generates about $37,873 in revenue per athlete, compared with $37,873 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $42,012 per athlete.
University of Maryland-College Park earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in College Park, MD. Team revenue averages $9,919 per participant, against $49,900 in expenses. The school awards about $30,606 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Irvine earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Irvine, CA. Team revenue averages $11,204 per participant, compared with $11,204 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,955.
California Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Pasadena, CA. Team revenue averages $4,665 per participant, with expenses of about $4,665 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pepperdine University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Malibu, CA, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,311 per participant, compared with $7,311 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,861.
University of California-Santa Barbara placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, University of California-Santa Barbara is a public institution. Team revenue averages $7,697 per participant, compared with $7,697 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
Santa Clara University did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Clara, CA. Team revenue averages $2,973 per participant, compared with $2,973 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,355 per athlete.
Colby College landed the #8 spot this year. Colby College is a private not-for-profit school based in Waterville, ME. Team revenue averages $3,505 per participant, compared with $3,505 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Tulsa did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tulsa, OK. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,271, with expenses of about $15,271 per participant. Athletic aid averages $34,797 per athlete.
Colorado School of Mines ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Golden, CO, Colorado School of Mines is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,002, compared with $5,002 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,984 in athletic aid per athlete.
Middlebury College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit school based in Middlebury, VT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,147, compared with $3,147 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of San Francisco came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in San Francisco, CA. Team revenue averages $15,345 per participant, compared with $15,345 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $31,788.
Hamilton College placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,234 per participant, compared with $3,234 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Vassar College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Located in Poughkeepsie, NY, Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,448 per participant, compared with $4,223 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Washington and Lee University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,813 in revenue per athlete, against $2,808 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Colorado College did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, Colorado College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,532 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,783 per participant. The school awards about $5,478 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Cambridge, MA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,962 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,962 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Amherst College placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,140 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,140 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Williams College placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Williams College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamstown, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,982, with expenses of about $1,982 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Francis University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Saint Francis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Loretto, PA. Team revenue averages $6,493 per participant, against $6,493 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,253.
Merrimack College landed the #21 spot this year. Located in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,965, compared with $3,965 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,394.
Chapman University placed #22 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Orange, CA, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,218 per participant, against $2,218 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Case Western Reserve University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Cleveland, OH, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,892 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,892 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rockhurst University placed #24 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,003 per participant, compared with $3,003 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,130.
Franklin and Marshall College placed #25 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lancaster, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,437, with expenses of about $1,953 per participant. Athletic aid averages $53 per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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.