by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 36 programs 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Case Western Reserve University to be the best college for Men's Outdoor Track and Field in the Great Lakes Region. Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cleveland, OH. Team revenue averages $1,892 per participant, with expenses of about $1,892 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Cedarville University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Cedarville, OH, Cedarville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,684 per participant, compared with $3,684 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,791 per athlete.
University of Evansville came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. University of Evansville is a private not-for-profit school based in Evansville, IN. Team revenue averages $3,992 per participant, against $3,992 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,525.
Michigan Technological University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This public school is set in Houghton, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,222, with expenses of about $5,262 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,159 per athlete.
Oberlin College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Oberlin, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,810, with expenses of about $1,540 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in La Crosse, WI, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public institution. The program generates about $3,604 in revenue per athlete, against $2,741 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Calvin University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. Team revenue averages $1,436 per participant, compared with $1,436 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ohio Northern University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Ada, OH, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,553 per participant, compared with $1,553 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kenyon College landed the #9 spot this year. Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Gambier, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $579, with expenses of about $579 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Terre Haute, IN. Team revenue averages $336 per participant, compared with $289 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Illinois Institute of Technology placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Chicago, IL. The program generates about $1,442 in revenue per athlete, against $1,442 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franciscan University of Steubenville ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Steubenville, OH, Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,418, with expenses of about $1,306 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,016 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,529 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public school based in Eau Claire, WI. Team revenue averages $2,257 per participant, against $2,201 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Earlham College landed the #15 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Richmond, IN. The program generates about $2,987 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,987 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Knox College placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Galesburg, IL. Team revenue averages $4,928 per participant, against $2,248 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lake Forest College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lake Forest, IL. The program generates about $1,343 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,343 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Aurora University placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Aurora, IL, Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,343 per participant, compared with $2,343 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Whitewater, WI. The program generates about $1,528 in revenue per athlete, against $1,256 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hanover College landed the #20 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hanover, IN. The program generates about $1,605 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,605 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Concordia University-Wisconsin placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Mequon, WI, Concordia University-Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,461 in revenue per athlete, against $1,302 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Trine University placed #22 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Angola, IN, Trine University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $613 in revenue per athlete, compared with $621 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Purdue University Fort Wayne placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This public school is set in Fort Wayne, IN. The program generates about $3,759 in revenue per athlete, against $3,761 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,345 per athlete.
Purdue University Northwest came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Based in Hammond, IN, Purdue University Northwest is a public institution. Team revenue averages $2,665 per participant, against $2,665 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,013 per athlete.
Concordia University-Chicago did well this year, earning the #25 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. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.