by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 27 schools for Men’s Outdoor Track and Field by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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 Stanford University, our #1 college for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Stanford, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,873, compared with $37,873 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
California Institute of Technology earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Pasadena, CA. The program generates about $4,665 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,665 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of California-Irvine landed the #3 spot for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. University of California-Irvine is a public school based in Irvine, CA. Team revenue averages $11,204 per participant, with expenses of about $11,204 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,955 per athlete.
Pepperdine University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit school based in Malibu, CA. 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 ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Santa Barbara, CA, University of California-Santa Barbara is a public institution. The program generates about $7,697 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,697 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,355.
University of San Francisco did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in San Francisco, CA, University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,345, against $15,345 in expenses. The school awards about $31,788 in athletic aid per athlete.
Santa Clara University landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Santa Clara, CA, Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,973, with expenses of about $2,973 per participant. The school awards about $19,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
Willamette University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Willamette University is a private not-for-profit school based in Salem, OR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,264, against $4,264 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Chapman University landed the #9 spot this year. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orange, CA. The program generates about $2,218 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,218 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Baptist University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Riverside, CA. Team revenue averages $28,531 per participant, compared with $28,531 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,790 per athlete.
California Lutheran University did well this year, earning the #11 position. California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Thousand Oaks, CA. 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.
Lewis & Clark College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,245 per participant, with expenses of about $3,245 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Tacoma, WA, Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,865 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,865 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Redlands ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,170, with expenses of about $3,469 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Mary's College of California did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Moraga, CA, Saint Mary's College of California is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,688, compared with $2,688 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $18,999 per athlete.
University of California-Merced ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Merced, CA, University of California-Merced is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,857, compared with $3,784 spent per athlete. The school awards about $1,179 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Bakersfield came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Bakersfield, CA, California State University-Bakersfield is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,352, against $15,352 in expenses. The school awards about $10,121 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Chico placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. California State University-Chico is a public school based in Chico, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,884, with expenses of about $7,109 per participant. The school awards about $2,367 in athletic aid per athlete.
Linfield University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Located in McMinnville, OR, Linfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,470 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,042 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of La Verne ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in La Verne, CA, University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,623 per participant, against $2,493 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Portland State University landed the #21 spot this year. Portland State University is a public school based in Portland, OR. The program generates about $3,079 in revenue per athlete, against $3,079 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,026.
Whitworth University did well this year, earning the #22 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spokane, WA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,907, compared with $2,092 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Los Angeles placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This public school is set in Los Angeles, CA. Team revenue averages $3,684 per participant, with expenses of about $3,684 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,687 per athlete.
University of Alaska Anchorage ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. University of Alaska Anchorage is a public school based in Anchorage, AK. The program generates about $10,088 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,088 per participant. The school awards about $7,371 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Based in Arcata, CA, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,798, against $9,064 in expenses. The school awards about $4,418 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. 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
