by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 28 schools for Women’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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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Stanford University, our #1 college for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Stanford, CA, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,928, against $42,928 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
University of California-Irvine ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. University of California-Irvine is a public school based in Irvine, CA. Team revenue averages $11,237 per participant, compared with $11,237 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,955.
California Institute of Technology earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Pasadena, CA, California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,031, against $4,031 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, University of California-Santa Barbara is a public institution. The program generates about $7,281 in revenue per athlete, against $7,281 in expenses. The school awards about $11,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
Santa Clara University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Clara, CA. Team revenue averages $3,603 per participant, with expenses of about $3,603 per participant. The school awards about $19,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Mary's College of California placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Moraga, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,609, against $5,609 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,999 per athlete.
Chapman University landed the #7 spot this year. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orange, CA. Team revenue averages $2,315 per participant, compared with $2,315 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Willamette University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Willamette University is a private not-for-profit school based in Salem, OR. The program generates about $4,264 in revenue per athlete, against $4,264 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of the Pacific placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. University of the Pacific is a private not-for-profit school based in Stockton, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,652, against $4,652 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,596 per athlete.
California Baptist University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Riverside, CA. Team revenue averages $39,354 per participant, against $39,354 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $23,790 per athlete.
University of Redlands did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,297 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,996 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
California Lutheran University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Thousand Oaks, CA. Team revenue averages $2,622 per participant, compared with $2,622 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lewis & Clark College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,293 per participant, compared with $3,293 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-San Bernardino did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in San Bernardino, CA, California State University-San Bernardino is a public institution. The program generates about $17,325 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,260 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,698.
University of California-Merced came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Merced, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,500, with expenses of about $4,596 per participant. The school awards about $1,179 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University landed the #16 spot this year. Based in Tacoma, WA, Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,935, against $2,935 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Chico came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Chico, CA, California State University-Chico is a public institution. The program generates about $7,091 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,502 per participant. Athletic aid averages $2,367 per athlete.
Portland State University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Portland State University is a public school based in Portland, OR. Team revenue averages $5,914 per participant, compared with $5,914 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,026.
Sonoma State University landed the #19 spot this year. This public school is set in Rohnert Park, CA. Team revenue averages $4,039 per participant, against $4,039 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,732.
San Francisco State University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in San Francisco, CA, San Francisco State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $8,050 per participant, against $8,050 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,480 per athlete.
California State University-Dominguez Hills did well this year, earning the #21 position. This public school is set in Carson, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,005, against $10,005 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,780.
Whitworth University landed the #22 spot this year. Whitworth University is a private not-for-profit school based in Spokane, WA. Team revenue averages $2,340 per participant, compared with $2,119 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of La Verne did well this year, earning the #23 position. Based in La Verne, CA, University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,623 per participant, with expenses of about $2,493 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Alaska Anchorage placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Anchorage, AK, University of Alaska Anchorage is a public institution. Team revenue averages $17,933 per participant, against $17,933 in expenses. The school awards about $7,371 in athletic aid per athlete.
Linfield University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in McMinnville, OR. Team revenue averages $3,932 per participant, against $2,504 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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.
