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.
Best Athletic 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 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 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 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 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 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 volleyball colleges
View the top 100 colleges for men’s volleyball overall.
Best men’s water polo colleges
View the top 45 colleges for men’s water polo overall.
Best women’s water polo colleges
View the top 50 colleges for women’s water polo overall.
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 women’s wrestling colleges
View the top 50 colleges for women’s wrestling overall.
For more information on the NCSA Power Rankings, email us.