by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 5 colleges for Men’s Wrestling (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
Stanford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division I). Located in Stanford, CA, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Stanford University records an NCAA APR of 965, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 89%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $71,448, with expenses of about $71,448 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
Oregon State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Corvallis, OR, Oregon State University is a public institution. Oregon State University records an NCAA APR of 966, alongside a GSR of 85%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $58,527, against $58,527 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,022.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is one of the top schools for Men's Wrestling (Division I), at #3. Based in San Luis Obispo, CA, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 966, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $30,099 per participant, compared with $30,099 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,344 per athlete.
California Baptist University landed the #4 spot for Men's Wrestling (Division I). California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Riverside, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 966, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $51,766, against $47,198 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $23,790 per athlete.
California State University-Bakersfield is one of the top schools for Men's Wrestling (Division I), at #5. This public school is set in Bakersfield, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 966, alongside a GSR of 89%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $21,285 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $21,285 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,121.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.