Best Colleges for Athletes

NCSA Power Rankings recognize the best colleges for student athletes. What makes a school “best” for student athletes? Size, location, academics, and cost, just to name a few. NCSA analyzes schools by what matters most to athletes and families to offer a comprehensive list of the top sports colleges in the U.S. Choose your sport and division level below to view the college rankings.

Filter rankings:

Best Athletic Colleges

Best College Athletic Programs

Best Division 1 Colleges

Best Division 2 Colleges

Best Division 3 Colleges

Best NAIA Colleges

Best Baseball Colleges

Best Cheerleading Colleges

Best Field Hockey Colleges

Best Football Colleges

Best Men’s Basketball Colleges

Best Men’s Golf Colleges

Best Men’s Hockey Colleges

Best Men’s Lacrosse Colleges

Best Men’s Rowing Colleges

Best Men’s Soccer Colleges

Best Men’s Swimming Colleges

Best Men’s Tennis Colleges

Best Men’s Track And Field Colleges

Best Men’s Volleyball Colleges

Best Men’s Water Polo Colleges

Best Men’s Wrestling Colleges

Best Softball Colleges

Best Women’s Basketball Colleges

Best Women’s Beach Volleyball Colleges

Best Women’s Golf Colleges

Best Women’s Gymnastics Colleges

Best Women’s Hockey Colleges

Best Women’s Lacrosse Colleges

Best Women’s Rowing Colleges

Best Women’s Soccer Colleges

Best Women’s Swimming Colleges

Best Women’s Tennis Colleges

Best Women’s Track and Field Colleges

Best Volleyball Colleges

Best Water Polo Colleges

Best Women’s Wrestling Colleges

NCSA Power Rankings are based on proprietary analysis using “NCSA Favorites” which identify the most desirable schools according to the millions of current high school student athletes on the NCSA platform, U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard‘s graduation rates and institutional net cost from the average cost after aid.

A list of Best colleges by sport and division level

Use the links below to find the best colleges for each sport and division level:

Best college sports programs

View the top 100 college athletic programs for student athletes for all sports in all divisions or view the top 100 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA colleges below:

Best NCAA Division 1 colleges

Best NCAA Division 2 colleges

Best NCAA Division 3 colleges

Best NAIA colleges

Best baseball colleges

View the top 100 colleges for baseball overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA baseball colleges below:

Best Division 1 Baseball Colleges

Best Division 2 Baseball Colleges

Best Division 3 Baseball Colleges

Best NAIA Baseball Colleges

Best men’s basketball colleges

View the top 100 colleges for men’s basketball overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA men’s basketball colleges below:

Best Division 1 Men’s Basketball Colleges

Best Division 2 Men’s Basketball Colleges

Best Division 3 Men’s Basketball Colleges

Best NAIA Men’s Basketball Colleges

Best women’s basketball colleges

View the top 100 colleges for women’s basketball overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA women’s basketball colleges below:

Best Division 1 Women’s Basketball Colleges

Best Division 2 Women’s Basketball Colleges

Best Division 3 Women’s Basketball Colleges

Best NAIA Women’s Basketball Colleges

Best beach volleyball colleges

View the top 50 colleges for women’s beach volleyball overall.

Best cheerleading colleges

View the top 100 colleges for women’s cheerleading overall.

Best field hockey colleges

View the top 100 colleges for field hockey overall or view the top D1, D2, and D3 field hockey colleges below:

Best Division 1 Field Hockey Colleges

Best Division 2 Field Hockey Colleges

Best Division 3 Field Hockey Colleges

Best football colleges

View the top 100 colleges for football overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA football colleges below:

Best Division 1 Football Colleges

Best Division 2 Football Colleges

Best Division 3 Football Colleges

Best NAIA Football Colleges

Best men’s golf colleges

View the top 100 colleges for men’s golf overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA men’s golf colleges below:

Best Division 1 Men’s Golf Colleges

Best Division 2 Men’s Golf Colleges

Best Division 3 Men’s Golf Colleges

Best NAIA Men’s Golf Colleges

Best women’s golf colleges

View the top 100 colleges for women’s golf overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA women’s golf colleges below:

Best Division 1 Women’s Golf Colleges

Best Division 2 Women’s Golf Colleges

Best Division 3 Women’s Golf Colleges

Best NAIA Women’s Golf Colleges

Best women’s gymnastics colleges

View the top 74 colleges for women’s gymnastics overall.

Best men’s hockey colleges

View the top 100 colleges for men’s hockey overall or view the top 50 D1 and D3 men’s ice hockey colleges below:

Best Division 1 Men’s Hockey Colleges

Best Division 3 Men’s Hockey Colleges

Best women’s hockey colleges

View the top 50 colleges for women’s hockey overall or view the top D1 and D3 women’s ice hockey colleges below:

Best Division 1 Women’s Hockey Colleges

Best Division 3 Women’s Hockey Colleges

Best men’s lacrosse colleges

View the top 100 colleges for men’s lacrosse overall or view the top D1, D2, D3, and NAIA men’s lacrosse colleges below:

Best Division 1 Men’s Lacrosse Colleges

Best Division 2 Men’s Lacrosse Colleges

Best Division 3 Men’s Lacrosse Colleges

Best NAIA Men’s Lacrosse Colleges

Best women’s lacrosse colleges

View the top 100 colleges for women’s lacrosse overall or view the top D1, D2, D3, and NAIA women’s lacrosse colleges below:

Best Division 1 Women’s Lacrosse Colleges

Best Division 2 Women’s Lacrosse Colleges

Best Division 3 Women’s Lacrosse Colleges

Best NAIA Women’s Lacrosse Colleges

Best men’s rowing colleges

View the top 50 colleges for men’s rowing overall.

Best women’s rowing colleges

View the top 100 colleges for women’s rowing overall.

Best men’s soccer colleges

View the top 100 colleges for men’s soccer overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA men’s soccer colleges below:

Best Division 1 Men’s Soccer Colleges

Best Division 2 Men’s Soccer Colleges

Best Division 3 Men’s Soccer Colleges

Best NAIA Men’s Soccer Colleges

Best women’s soccer colleges

View the top 100 colleges for women’s soccer overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA women’s soccer colleges below:

Best Division 1 Women’s Soccer Colleges

Best Division 2 Women’s Soccer Colleges

Best Division 3 Women’s Soccer Colleges

Best NAIA Women’s Soccer Colleges

Best softball colleges

View the top 100 colleges for softball overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA softball colleges below:

Best Division 1 Softball Colleges

Best Division 2 Softball Colleges

Best Division 3 Softball Colleges

Best NAIA Softball Colleges

Best men’s swimming colleges

View the top 100 colleges for men’s swimming overall or view the top D1, D2, D3, and NAIA men’s swimming colleges below:

Best Division 1 Men’s Swimming Colleges

Best Division 2 Men’s Swimming Colleges

Best Division 3 Men’s Swimming Colleges

Best NAIA Men’s Swimming Colleges

Best women’s swimming colleges

View the top 100 colleges for women’s swimming overall or view the top D1, D2, D3, and NAIA women’s swimming colleges below:

Best Division 1 Women’s Swimming Colleges

Best Division 2 Women’s Swimming Colleges

Best Division 3 Women’s Swimming Colleges

Best NAIA Women’s Swimming Colleges

Best men’s tennis colleges

View the top 100 colleges for men’s tennis overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA men’s tennis colleges below:

Best Division 1 Men’s Tennis Colleges

Best Division 2 Men’s Tennis Colleges

Best Division 3 Men’s Tennis Colleges

Best NAIA Men’s Tennis Colleges

Best women’s tennis colleges

View the top 100 colleges for women’s tennis overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA women’s tennis colleges below:

Best Division 1 Women’s Tennis Colleges

Best Division 2 Women’s Tennis Colleges

Best Division 3 Women’s Tennis Colleges

Best NAIA Women’s Tennis Colleges

Best men’s track and field colleges

View the top 100 colleges for men’s track and field overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA men’s track and field colleges below:

Best Division 1 Men’s Track and Field Colleges

Best Division 2 Men’s Track and Field Colleges

Best Division 3 Men’s Track and Field Colleges

Best NAIA Men’s Track and Field Colleges

Best women’s track and field colleges

View the top 100 colleges for women’s track and field overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA women’s track and field colleges below:

Best Division 1 Women’s Track and Field Colleges

Best Division 2 Women’s Track and Field Colleges

Best Division 3 Women’s Track and Field Colleges

Best NAIA Women’s Track and Field Colleges

Best women’s volleyball colleges

View the top 100 colleges for women’s volleyball overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA women’s volleyball colleges below:

Best Division 1 Women’s Volleyball Colleges

Best Division 2 Women’s Volleyball Colleges

Best Division 3 Women’s Volleyball Colleges

Best NAIA Women’s Volleyball Colleges

Best men’s wrestling colleges

View the top 100 colleges for men’s wrestling overall or view the top 50 D1, D2, D3, and NAIA men’s wrestling colleges below.

Best Division 1 Wrestling Colleges

Best Division 2 Wrestling Colleges

Best Division 3 Wrestling Colleges

Best NAIA Wrestling Colleges

Best women’s wrestling colleges

View the top 50 colleges for women’s wrestling overall.

For more information on the NCSA Power Rankings, email us.

Best Colleges for Student Athletes