by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 9 programs for Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 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:
Leading the list is Illinois Institute of Technology, our #1 college for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Chicago, IL, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,442 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,442 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
North Central College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,537, against $1,918 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Knox College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Galesburg, IL, Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,245 in revenue per athlete, against $5,323 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Northern Illinois University is one of the top schools for Women's Outdoor Track and Field, at #4. This public school is set in Dekalb, IL. The program generates about $11,177 in revenue per athlete, against $11,177 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,138.
Lake Forest College landed the #5 spot for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lake Forest, IL. Team revenue averages $1,527 per participant, compared with $1,527 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Aurora University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Aurora, IL, Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,912 per participant, compared with $2,912 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Millikin University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Decatur, IL, Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,793, with expenses of about $2,793 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Concordia University-Chicago ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in River Forest, IL, Concordia University-Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,559 per participant, compared with $2,524 spent per athlete. 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. 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.