by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 20 schools for Women’s Outdoor Track and Field by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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No school ranked higher than Hamilton College this year for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,749 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,749 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Vassar College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Poughkeepsie, NY, Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,162, compared with $3,013 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Niagara University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Niagara University, NY, Niagara University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,684 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,684 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,462 per athlete.
Ithaca College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ithaca, NY. The program generates about $3,497 in revenue per athlete, against $3,497 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Lawrence University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Canton, NY, St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,370 per participant, compared with $2,370 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,126 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rochester Institute of Technology placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Rochester Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $3,593 in revenue per athlete, against $3,499 in expenses. The school awards about $3,070 in athletic aid per athlete.
Molloy University landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Rockville Centre, NY, Molloy University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,395, with expenses of about $3,573 per participant. The school awards about $5,589 in athletic aid per athlete.
University at Albany landed the #8 spot this year. University at Albany is a public school based in Albany, NY. The program generates about $9,317 in revenue per athlete, against $9,968 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,856 per athlete.
St. John Fisher University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. St. John Fisher University is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,690, with expenses of about $1,632 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Adelphi University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit school based in Garden City, NY. Team revenue averages $1,838 per participant, against $1,838 in expenses. The school awards about $7,963 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bard College ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Bard College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. Team revenue averages $1,735 per participant, with expenses of about $1,735 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Roberts Wesleyan University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Rochester, NY, Roberts Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,780, against $3,380 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,925 per athlete.
Dominican University New York ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Orangeburg, NY, Dominican University New York is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,819 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,819 spent per athlete. The school awards about $4,678 in athletic aid per athlete.
State University of New York at Cortland did well this year, earning the #14 position. This public school is set in Cortland, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,834, with expenses of about $1,834 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alfred University placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Alfred University is a private not-for-profit school based in Alfred, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,621, compared with $5,573 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Russell Sage College did well this year, earning the #16 position. Russell Sage College is a private not-for-profit school based in Troy, NY. Team revenue averages $1,210 per participant, with expenses of about $1,210 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Farmingdale State College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Farmingdale, NY, Farmingdale State College is a public institution. The program generates about $822 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $764 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Manhattanville University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Located in Purchase, NY, Manhattanville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,720 per participant, against $2,792 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Utica University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Utica University is a private not-for-profit school based in Utica, NY. Team revenue averages $1,294 per participant, compared with $1,176 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hartwick College ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Oneonta, NY, Hartwick College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,220 per participant, with expenses of about $2,220 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.