by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 19 schools 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 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:
Stanford University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Stanford, CA, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $37,873 per participant, with expenses of about $37,873 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
California Institute of Technology ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Pasadena, CA, California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,665 per participant, with expenses of about $4,665 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of California-Irvine is one of the top schools for Men's Outdoor Track and Field, at #3. Located in Irvine, CA, University of California-Irvine is a public institution. The program generates about $11,204 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,204 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,955.
Pepperdine University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Malibu, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,311, compared with $7,311 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $27,861 per athlete.
Santa Clara University landed the #5 spot for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit school based in Santa Clara, CA. The program generates about $2,973 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,973 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,355 per athlete.
University of San Francisco did well this year, earning the #6 position. University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit school based in San Francisco, CA. The program generates about $15,345 in revenue per athlete, against $15,345 in expenses. The school awards about $31,788 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara came in at #7 in this year's ranking. University of California-Santa Barbara is a public school based in Santa Barbara, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,697, with expenses of about $7,697 per participant. The school awards about $11,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chapman University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orange, CA. The program generates about $2,218 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,218 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
California Baptist University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Riverside, CA, California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,531, against $28,531 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $23,790 per athlete.
California Lutheran University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,880 per participant, with expenses of about $2,880 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Redlands ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit school based 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.
Saint Mary's College of California landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Moraga, CA, Saint Mary's College of California is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,688 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,688 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,999.
University of California-Merced placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. 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-Bakersfield did well this year, earning the #14 position. This public school is set in Bakersfield, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,352, compared with $15,352 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,121.
California State University-Chico came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Chico, CA. Team revenue averages $6,884 per participant, against $7,109 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,367.
University of La Verne placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in La Verne, CA, University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,623, with expenses of about $2,493 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
California State University-Los Angeles placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This public school is set in Los Angeles, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,684, against $3,684 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,687 per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is a public school based in Arcata, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,798, against $9,064 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,418 per athlete.
San Francisco State University landed the #19 spot this year. Based in San Francisco, CA, San Francisco State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $1,310 per participant, 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.
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.
