by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 53 colleges for Men’s Outdoor Track and Field by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
University of Maryland-College Park tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. University of Maryland-College Park is a public school based in College Park, MD. The program generates about $9,919 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $49,900 per participant. Athletic aid averages $30,606 per athlete.
Hamilton College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,234 per participant, compared with $3,234 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Vassar College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Vassar College is a private not-for-profit school based in Poughkeepsie, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,448, compared with $4,223 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Francis University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Loretto, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,493, against $6,493 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,253 per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lancaster, PA. Team revenue averages $2,437 per participant, compared with $1,953 spent per athlete. The school awards about $53 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ithaca College landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Ithaca, NY, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,657, against $2,657 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Molloy University landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Rockville Centre, NY, Molloy University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,506 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,601 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,589 in athletic aid per athlete.
University at Albany ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. University at Albany is a public school based in Albany, NY. Team revenue averages $11,162 per participant, compared with $11,865 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,856 in athletic aid per athlete.
St. John Fisher University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Rochester, NY, St. John Fisher University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,108, against $2,053 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Lawrence University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit school based in Canton, NY. Team revenue averages $1,803 per participant, with expenses of about $1,803 per participant. The school awards about $3,126 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Scranton ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Scranton, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,184, compared with $1,184 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
DeSales University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. DeSales University is a private not-for-profit school based in Center Valley, PA. Team revenue averages $3,899 per participant, compared with $3,825 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Thomas Jefferson University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit school based in Philadelphia, PA. The program generates about $2,221 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,221 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,341.
Dickinson College landed the #14 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Carlisle, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $887, with expenses of about $697 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Adelphi University placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Garden City, NY, Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,838, with expenses of about $1,838 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,963 per athlete.
Rochester Institute of Technology came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $2,110 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,100 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,070.
Chatham University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Chatham University is a private not-for-profit school based in Pittsburgh, PA. The program generates about $4,896 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,896 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Based in Huntingdon, PA, Juniata College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,716 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,389 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Drew University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Madison, NJ, Drew University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,838, with expenses of about $1,838 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bard College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Bard College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. Team revenue averages $1,352 per participant, with expenses of about $1,352 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Vincent College did well this year, earning the #21 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Latrobe, PA. The program generates about $1,747 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,747 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Holy Family University landed the #22 spot this year. Holy Family University is a private not-for-profit school based in Philadelphia, PA. Team revenue averages $4,849 per participant, against $4,511 in expenses. The school awards about $5,523 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lancaster Bible College ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Lancaster Bible College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lancaster, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,853, compared with $1,301 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Goldey-Beacom College came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Goldey-Beacom College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wilmington, DE. The program generates about $5,991 in revenue per athlete, against $5,991 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,149 per athlete.
Lebanon Valley College ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Annville, PA, Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $802, against $766 in expenses. 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.
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.