by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 134 programs for Men’s Outdoor Track and Field (Division III) 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
California Institute of Technology earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in Pasadena, CA, California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,665, against $4,665 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Colby College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in Waterville, ME, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,505 per participant, compared with $3,505 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Middlebury College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Middlebury, VT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,147, with expenses of about $3,147 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hamilton College landed the #4 spot for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,234 per participant, with expenses of about $3,234 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Washington and Lee University earned the #5 place for student athletes. 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, with expenses of about $2,808 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Vassar College placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Vassar College is a private not-for-profit school based in Poughkeepsie, NY. The program generates about $4,448 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,223 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. Team revenue averages $1,962 per participant, compared with $1,962 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Colorado College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Colorado Springs, CO, Colorado College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,532 per participant, compared with $5,783 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,478 in athletic aid per athlete.
Amherst College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,140, against $2,140 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Williams College placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Williams College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamstown, MA. Team revenue averages $1,982 per participant, compared with $1,982 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chapman University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Orange, CA, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,218 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,218 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,437, compared with $1,953 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53.
Case Western Reserve University landed the #13 spot this year. Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cleveland, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,892, compared with $1,892 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Grinnell College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Grinnell, IA, Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,067 per participant, compared with $2,067 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Christopher Newport University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in Newport News, VA, Christopher Newport University is a public institution. The program generates about $3,110 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,110 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Willamette University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Willamette University is a private not-for-profit school based in Salem, OR. The program generates about $4,264 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,264 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
California Lutheran University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,880, compared with $2,880 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Olaf College came in at #18 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Northfield, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,896, compared with $1,896 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ithaca College came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Located in Ithaca, NY, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,657 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,657 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lewis & Clark College ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Portland, OR. The program generates about $3,245 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,245 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Located in La Crosse, WI, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public institution. Team revenue averages $3,604 per participant, compared with $2,741 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Redlands came in at #22 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Redlands, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,170, compared with $3,469 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Pacific Lutheran University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Located in Tacoma, WA, Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,865 in revenue per athlete, against $3,865 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Lawrence University landed the #24 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Canton, NY. Team revenue averages $1,803 per participant, with expenses of about $1,803 per participant. The school awards about $3,126 in athletic aid per athlete.
St. John Fisher University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $2,108 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,053 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.