by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 19 colleges 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 weighs 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:
Hamilton College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit school based in Clinton, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,234, compared with $3,234 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Vassar College is one of the top schools for Men's Outdoor Track and Field, at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Poughkeepsie, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,448, with expenses of about $4,223 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ithaca College is one of the top schools for Men's Outdoor Track and Field, at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ithaca, NY. The program generates about $2,657 in revenue per athlete, against $2,657 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Lawrence University earned the #4 place for student athletes. 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. Athletic aid averages $3,126 per athlete.
St. John Fisher University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Rochester, NY, St. John Fisher University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,108 per participant, with expenses of about $2,053 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Molloy University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rockville Centre, NY. Team revenue averages $2,506 per participant, with expenses of about $2,601 per participant. The school awards about $5,589 in athletic aid per athlete.
University at Albany came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Albany, NY, University at Albany is a public institution. The program generates about $11,162 in revenue per athlete, against $11,865 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,856 per athlete.
Rochester Institute of Technology ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Rochester Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $2,110 in revenue per athlete, against $2,100 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,070.
Adelphi University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Garden City, NY, Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,838 in revenue per athlete, against $1,838 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,963.
Bard College placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,352, against $1,352 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Roberts Wesleyan University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Rochester, NY, Roberts Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,299 per participant, against $2,655 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,925.
Dominican University New York landed the #12 spot this year. Based in Orangeburg, NY, Dominican University New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,173, compared with $4,173 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $4,678 per athlete.
State University of New York at Cortland landed the #13 spot this year. State University of New York at Cortland is a public school based in Cortland, NY. The program generates about $1,439 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,439 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Alfred University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Alfred, NY, Alfred University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,715 per participant, with expenses of about $2,657 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Russell Sage College landed the #15 spot this year. Located in Troy, NY, Russell Sage College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,194, with expenses of about $1,194 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Farmingdale State College landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Farmingdale, NY, Farmingdale State College is a public institution. Team revenue averages $440 per participant, with expenses of about $462 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hartwick College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Oneonta, NY, Hartwick College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,213, against $2,213 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Manhattanville University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in Purchase, NY, Manhattanville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,508, compared with $1,548 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Utica University did well this year, earning the #19 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Utica, NY. The program generates about $1,042 in revenue per athlete, compared with $925 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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
See our data sources and methodologies.