by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 5 schools for Men’s Outdoor Track and Field (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
California State University-Chico tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division II). California State University-Chico is a public school based in Chico, CA. The program generates about $6,884 in revenue per athlete, against $7,109 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,367.
University of California-Merced ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division II). University of California-Merced is a public school based in Merced, CA. Team revenue averages $3,857 per participant, against $3,784 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $1,179.
California State University-Los Angeles ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division II). Located in Los Angeles, CA, California State University-Los Angeles is a public institution. The program generates about $3,684 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,684 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,687 per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division II). This public school is set in Arcata, CA. The program generates about $5,798 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,064 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,418 per athlete.
San Francisco State University is one of the top schools for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division II), at #5. Located in San Francisco, CA, San Francisco State University is a public institution. The program generates about $1,310 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,310 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,480 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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.
