by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 10 colleges for Men’s Wrestling (Division III) in Plains States 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Luther College, our #1 college for Men's Wrestling (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Decorah, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,584, against $17,885 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cornell College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Mount Vernon, IA, Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,523 in revenue per athlete, against $6,595 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Loras College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. Team revenue averages $7,568 per participant, against $7,568 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Simpson College landed the #4 spot for Men's Wrestling (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Indianola, IA, Simpson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,794, with expenses of about $6,981 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Augsburg University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division III) in Plains States. Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit school based in Minneapolis, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,029, compared with $11,029 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wartburg College did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waverly, IA. The program generates about $5,946 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,946 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Nebraska Wesleyan University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Lincoln, NE, Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,903 per participant, compared with $3,783 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Coe College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,221 in revenue per athlete, against $7,221 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Buena Vista University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,800 in revenue per athlete, against $8,138 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Dubuque came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,771, with expenses of about $5,750 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.