by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 43 programs for Women’s Outdoor Track and Field (Division III) 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Franklin and Marshall College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,807 per participant, compared with $3,009 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $53 per athlete.
Hamilton College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,749 per participant, compared with $2,749 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Vassar College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Poughkeepsie, NY. Team revenue averages $3,162 per participant, with expenses of about $3,013 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ithaca College is one of the top schools for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III), at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ithaca, NY. Team revenue averages $3,497 per participant, against $3,497 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Lawrence University earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Canton, NY. The program generates about $2,370 in revenue per athlete, against $2,370 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,126 per athlete.
Rochester Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Rochester, NY, Rochester Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,593 per participant, with expenses of about $3,499 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,070.
DeSales University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in Center Valley, PA, DeSales University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,964 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,941 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Vincent College placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Located in Latrobe, PA, Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,948, compared with $2,948 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St. John Fisher University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Rochester, NY, St. John Fisher University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,690 in revenue per athlete, against $1,632 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Scranton ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit school based in Scranton, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,184, compared with $1,184 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Huntingdon, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,261, compared with $3,210 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Dickinson College placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Based in Carlisle, PA, Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,061 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $771 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bard College landed the #13 spot this year. Bard College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. The program generates about $1,735 in revenue per athlete, against $1,735 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Drew University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Drew University is a private not-for-profit school based in Madison, NJ. Team revenue averages $1,889 per participant, against $1,889 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Widener University landed the #15 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Chester, PA. The program generates about $2,366 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,276 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lebanon Valley College ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Located in Annville, PA, Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $782 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $755 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
State University of New York at Cortland placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). This public school is set in Cortland, NY. Team revenue averages $1,834 per participant, with expenses of about $1,834 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lancaster Bible College came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Based in Lancaster, PA, Lancaster Bible College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,517 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,301 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alfred University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Located in Alfred, NY, Alfred University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,621, with expenses of about $5,573 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stevenson University landed the #20 spot this year. Stevenson University is a private not-for-profit school based in Owings Mills, MD. The program generates about $1,678 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,460 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
McDaniel College did well this year, earning the #21 position. McDaniel College is a private not-for-profit school based in Westminster, MD. The program generates about $2,180 in revenue per athlete, against $2,088 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Montclair State University did well this year, earning the #22 position. Located in Montclair, NJ, Montclair State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $1,627 per participant, against $1,962 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carlow University landed the #23 spot this year. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Carlow University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,050 per participant, against $9,050 in expenses. The school awards about $2,353 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chatham University placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Located in Pittsburgh, PA, Chatham University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,287 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,287 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cedar Crest College placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field (Division III). Located in Allentown, PA, Cedar Crest College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,235, compared with $2,235 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.