by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 38 colleges 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Case Western Reserve University, our #1 college for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Cleveland, OH, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,892 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,892 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Cedarville University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cedarville, OH. Team revenue averages $3,590 per participant, compared with $3,590 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,791.
Michigan Technological University is one of the top schools for Women's Outdoor Track and Field, at #3. Michigan Technological University is a public school based in Houghton, MI. Team revenue averages $7,284 per participant, with expenses of about $7,216 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,159.
University of Evansville came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. University of Evansville is a private not-for-profit school based in Evansville, IN. The program generates about $3,088 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,088 per participant. The school awards about $16,525 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oberlin College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit school based in Oberlin, OH. Team revenue averages $2,236 per participant, with expenses of about $2,236 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Calvin University landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. Team revenue averages $1,443 per participant, with expenses of about $1,443 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ohio Northern University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ada, OH. Team revenue averages $1,744 per participant, against $1,744 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franciscan University of Steubenville came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Steubenville, OH, Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,640 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,523 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Terre Haute, IN, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $689 per participant, against $689 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kenyon College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Gambier, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $686, against $686 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
North Central College landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,537 in revenue per athlete, against $1,918 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Chicago, IL, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,442, against $1,442 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse landed the #13 spot this year. Based in La Crosse, WI, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public institution. The program generates about $1,812 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,680 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Eau Claire, WI, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public institution. Team revenue averages $2,302 per participant, against $2,244 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Knox College placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Galesburg, IL, Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,245, against $5,323 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Illinois University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Located in Dekalb, IL, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. The program generates about $11,177 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,177 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,138 per athlete.
Earlham College landed the #17 spot this year. Earlham College is a private not-for-profit school based in Richmond, IN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,987, with expenses of about $2,987 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Forest College landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,527, compared with $1,527 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Michigan University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Located in Marquette, MI, Northern Michigan University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,707, against $8,865 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
Aurora University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Aurora, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,912, compared with $2,912 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wisconsin Lutheran College ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Milwaukee, WI, Wisconsin Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,210 per participant, compared with $2,210 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Millikin University placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Millikin University is a private not-for-profit school based in Decatur, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,793, against $2,793 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Trine University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Based in Angola, IN, Trine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $752, with expenses of about $757 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Whitewater, WI, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is a public institution. The program generates about $939 in revenue per athlete, against $1,017 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Concordia University-Wisconsin ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Mequon, WI, Concordia University-Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,335, against $1,164 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.