by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 23 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 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Williams College, our #1 college for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Williams College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamstown, MA. The program generates about $1,982 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,982 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Cambridge, MA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,962, compared with $1,962 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Middlebury College earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Middlebury, VT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,147, with expenses of about $3,147 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colby College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Colby College is a private not-for-profit school based in Waterville, ME. Team revenue averages $3,505 per participant, with expenses of about $3,505 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Amherst College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,140 per participant, compared with $2,140 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Merrimack College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in North Andover, MA. The program generates about $3,965 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,965 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,394 per athlete.
Brown University landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Providence, RI. Team revenue averages $8,262 per participant, compared with $8,262 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Connecticut College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Connecticut College is a private not-for-profit school based in New London, CT. Team revenue averages $1,487 per participant, with expenses of about $1,487 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Hartford ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in West Hartford, CT, University of Hartford is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,218 in revenue per athlete, against $1,746 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $587 per athlete.
Gordon College did well this year, earning the #10 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wenham, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,876, compared with $1,680 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy landed the #11 spot this year. Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public school based in Buzzards Bay, MA. The program generates about $1,014 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $845 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wentworth Institute of Technology ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,021, against $547 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Husson University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bangor, ME. Team revenue averages $2,854 per participant, against $2,854 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Roger Williams University landed the #14 spot this year. Roger Williams University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, RI. The program generates about $1,367 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,437 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nichols College placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Dudley, MA, Nichols College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,667 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,680 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Western New England University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $937, compared with $937 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Western Connecticut State University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This public school is set in Danbury, CT. The program generates about $2,822 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,822 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Worcester State University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Worcester, MA, Worcester State University is a public institution. The program generates about $1,389 in revenue per athlete, against $1,420 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Maine at Presque Isle ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. University of Maine at Presque Isle is a public school based in Presque Isle, ME. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,731, compared with $4,731 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Fitchburg State University placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Fitchburg, MA, Fitchburg State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,016, compared with $1,016 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rhode Island College landed the #21 spot this year. Rhode Island College is a public school based in Providence, RI. The program generates about $2,232 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,232 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth came in at #22 in this year's ranking. University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is a public school based in North Dartmouth, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,714, compared with $1,588 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Thomas College came in at #23 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waterville, ME. Team revenue averages $1,676 per participant, with expenses of about $1,638 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $244.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.