by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 8 schools for Men’s Outdoor Track and Field by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual evaluates each program using 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:
Leading the list is Illinois Institute of Technology, our #1 college for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. Team revenue averages $1,442 per participant, compared with $1,442 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
North Central College is one of the top schools for Men's Outdoor Track and Field, at #2. Located in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,016 per participant, with expenses of about $1,529 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Knox College is one of the top schools for Men's Outdoor Track and Field, at #3. Based in Galesburg, IL, Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,928 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,248 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lake Forest College is one of the top schools for Men's Outdoor Track and Field, at #4. Located in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution. 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 is one of the top schools for Men's Outdoor Track and Field, at #5. 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. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Millikin University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Decatur, IL, Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,544 in revenue per athlete, against $1,544 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Concordia University-Chicago came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Concordia University-Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in River Forest, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,984, with expenses of about $1,895 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.