by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 8 schools for Women’s Outdoor Track and Field (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than California State University-San Bernardino this year for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division II). This public school is set in San Bernardino, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,325, compared with $17,260 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,698 per athlete.
California State University-Chico earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Chico, CA, California State University-Chico is a public institution. The program generates about $7,091 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,502 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,367.
University of California-Merced landed the #3 spot for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division II). Based in Merced, CA, University of California-Merced is a public institution. The program generates about $4,500 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,596 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $1,179.
Sonoma State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division II). Based in Rohnert Park, CA, Sonoma State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,039, with expenses of about $4,039 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,732.
California State University-Dominguez Hills earned the #5 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Carson, CA. The program generates about $10,005 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,005 per participant. The school awards about $3,780 in athletic aid per athlete.
San Francisco State University did well this year, earning the #6 position. San Francisco State University is a public school based in San Francisco, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,050, against $8,050 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,480 per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt did well this year, earning the #7 position. This public school is set in Arcata, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,995, against $6,678 in expenses. The school awards about $4,418 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Los Angeles placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division II). This public school is set in Los Angeles, CA. The program generates about $3,635 in revenue per athlete, against $3,635 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,687 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
