by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 7 colleges for Men’s Outdoor Track and Field by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
North Greenville University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Tigerville, SC, North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,798 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,773 per participant. The school awards about $15,158 in athletic aid per athlete.
Converse University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Converse University is a private not-for-profit school based in Spartanburg, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,276, with expenses of about $4,198 per participant. The school awards about $7,241 in athletic aid per athlete.
Claflin University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Orangeburg, SC, Claflin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,096 in revenue per athlete, against $2,096 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,337.
Erskine College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Erskine College is a private not-for-profit school based in Due West, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,003, against $3,202 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,924 per athlete.
University of South Carolina Beaufort landed the #5 spot for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Bluffton, SC, University of South Carolina Beaufort is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,868, compared with $4,241 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,478 in athletic aid per athlete.
Coker University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Hartsville, SC, Coker University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,535, compared with $4,500 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,938 per athlete.
Benedict College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Columbia, SC, Benedict College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,962 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,466 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,098.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.