by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 29 colleges for Women’s Outdoor Track and Field by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Middlebury College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Middlebury, VT. The program generates about $5,322 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,322 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,386, compared with $2,386 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wellesley College is one of the top schools for Women's Outdoor Track and Field, at #3. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wellesley, MA. The program generates about $3,961 in revenue per athlete, against $3,961 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Colby College is one of the top schools for Women's Outdoor Track and Field, at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waterville, ME. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,430, compared with $3,430 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Williams College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Located in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $1,843 in revenue per athlete, against $1,843 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Amherst College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,360 in revenue per athlete, against $2,360 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Brown University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,305, compared with $8,305 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Merrimack College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,133 in revenue per athlete, against $4,133 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,394.
Endicott College landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Beverly, MA, Endicott College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,803 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,803 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Salve Regina University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. This private not-for-profit school is set in Newport, RI. Team revenue averages $3,219 per participant, against $3,118 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy landed the #11 spot this year. Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public school based in Buzzards Bay, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,170, with expenses of about $2,507 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Connecticut College landed the #12 spot this year. Located in New London, CT, Connecticut College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,504 per participant, with expenses of about $1,504 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Hartford ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in West Hartford, CT, University of Hartford is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,656, against $2,919 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $587.
Gordon College placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Based in Wenham, MA, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,468, compared with $2,200 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of New England came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Biddeford, ME, University of New England is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,224 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,204 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Nichols College landed the #16 spot this year. Based in Dudley, MA, Nichols College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,909 per participant, against $2,978 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Husson University landed the #17 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bangor, ME. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,322, with expenses of about $4,322 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Roger Williams University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Roger Williams University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, RI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,773, against $1,871 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wentworth Institute of Technology landed the #19 spot this year. Based in Boston, MA, Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $875, with expenses of about $928 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Western New England University did well this year, earning the #20 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,653, against $1,653 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Western Connecticut State University landed the #21 spot this year. Located in Danbury, CT, Western Connecticut State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $6,618 per participant, against $6,618 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Fitchburg State University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. This public school is set in Fitchburg, MA. Team revenue averages $1,745 per participant, against $1,745 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Worcester State University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Worcester State University is a public school based in Worcester, MA. The program generates about $1,621 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,548 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Maine at Presque Isle ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. University of Maine at Presque Isle is a public school based in Presque Isle, ME. The program generates about $6,440 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,440 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rhode Island College ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Rhode Island College is a public school based in Providence, RI. Team revenue averages $3,296 per participant, compared with $3,296 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. Programs are scored on 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.