by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 30 schools 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 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:
Leading the list is Case Western Reserve University, our #1 college for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cleveland, OH. Team revenue averages $1,892 per participant, compared with $1,892 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Oberlin College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit school based in Oberlin, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,810, with expenses of about $1,540 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse landed the #3 spot for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in La Crosse, WI, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public institution. The program generates about $3,604 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,741 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Calvin University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. The program generates about $1,436 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,436 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio Northern University landed the #5 spot for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Located in Ada, OH, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,553 in revenue per athlete, against $1,553 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kenyon College placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Located in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $579 per participant, against $579 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,016 per participant, compared with $1,529 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #8 spot this year. Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,442, against $1,442 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Eau Claire, WI, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,257, compared with $2,201 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in Terre Haute, IN, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $336, against $289 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franciscan University of Steubenville placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Steubenville, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,418, against $1,306 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Earlham College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Located in Richmond, IN, Earlham College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,987 in revenue per athlete, against $2,987 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Knox College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Knox College is a private not-for-profit school based in Galesburg, IL. The program generates about $4,928 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,248 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Forest College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lake Forest, IL. Team revenue averages $1,343 per participant, with expenses of about $1,343 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Aurora University placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Located in Aurora, IL, Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,343 per participant, with expenses of about $2,343 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). This public school is set in Whitewater, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,528, with expenses of about $1,256 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hanover College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Hanover, IN, Hanover College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,605, compared with $1,605 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Concordia University-Wisconsin ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Located in Mequon, WI, Concordia University-Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,461 per participant, against $1,302 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Trine University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Angola, IN, Trine University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $613 in revenue per athlete, against $621 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Concordia University-Chicago did well this year, earning the #20 position. Based in River Forest, IL, Concordia University-Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,984 per participant, compared with $1,895 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ripon College landed the #21 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ripon, WI. The program generates about $1,465 in revenue per athlete, against $1,465 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wisconsin Lutheran College came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Located in Milwaukee, WI, Wisconsin Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,389 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,389 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Millikin University placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in Decatur, IL, Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,544 per participant, against $1,544 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Muskingum University placed #24 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in New Concord, OH, Muskingum University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,736, with expenses of about $1,736 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Superior landed the #25 spot this year. Located in Superior, WI, University of Wisconsin-Superior is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,058, against $2,058 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.