by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 50 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 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Washington and Lee University, our #1 college for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lexington, VA. Team revenue averages $2,813 per participant, with expenses of about $2,808 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Gardner-Webb University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boiling Springs, NC. The program generates about $16,185 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,185 per participant. The school awards about $14,936 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christopher Newport University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Newport News, VA. Team revenue averages $3,110 per participant, with expenses of about $3,110 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University is one of the top schools for Men's Outdoor Track and Field, at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Arkadelphia, AR. The program generates about $4,481 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,763 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,935.
Hampton University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Hampton, VA, Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,083, against $13,002 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,394.
Asbury University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Wilmore, KY, Asbury University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,177 per participant, against $4,177 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Covenant College placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Lookout Mountain, GA, Covenant College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,113 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,051 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Alabama came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Mobile, AL. The program generates about $7,484 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,484 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,705 in athletic aid per athlete.
Transylvania University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lexington, KY. The program generates about $3,201 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,201 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Greenville University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Tigerville, SC, North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,798, against $10,773 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,158 per athlete.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University landed the #11 spot this year. This public school is set in Tallahassee, FL. Team revenue averages $15,168 per participant, against $6,600 in expenses. The school awards about $11,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Southern Mississippi did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Hattiesburg, MS, University of Southern Mississippi is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,756, compared with $9,756 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,309 per athlete.
Hendrix College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Conway, AR, Hendrix College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,002 in revenue per athlete, against $3,002 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Emory & Henry University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Emory, VA, Emory & Henry University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,090 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,090 per participant. The school awards about $5,871 in athletic aid per athlete.
Berea College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Berea, KY, Berea College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,321, compared with $1,479 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Roanoke College did well this year, earning the #16 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salem, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,331, against $1,331 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,869 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,869 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,766 per athlete.
Palm Beach Atlantic University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in West Palm Beach, FL, Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,246, with expenses of about $2,246 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,383.
Carson-Newman University landed the #19 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jefferson City, TN. Team revenue averages $14,953 per participant, against $14,486 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,904.
Barton College landed the #20 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wilson, NC. Team revenue averages $6,222 per participant, against $6,222 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,654.
East Tennessee State University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Located in Johnson City, TN, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. The program generates about $3,104 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,104 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,444.
North Carolina Central University landed the #22 spot this year. North Carolina Central University is a public school based in Durham, NC. The program generates about $7,631 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,631 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,804 per athlete.
University of New Orleans did well this year, earning the #23 position. University of New Orleans is a public school based in New Orleans, LA. Team revenue averages $11,736 per participant, against $11,736 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,626.
Regent University landed the #24 spot this year. Based in Virginia Beach, VA, Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,422 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,422 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Converse University did well this year, earning the #25 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. The program generates about $4,276 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,198 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,241 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 ranking is produced 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
See our data sources and methodologies.