by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 5 programs 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is St Olaf College, our #1 college for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,896 per participant, against $1,896 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Martin Luther College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit school based in New Ulm, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,419, compared with $1,419 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mankato, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,880, against $2,757 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Northwestern-St Paul landed the #4 spot for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Saint Paul, MN, University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,592 per participant, compared with $1,592 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Augsburg University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit school based in Minneapolis, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,876, with expenses of about $1,876 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.