Best colleges for track and field in 2026
Ranked by how many athletes each program put in the top 50 of the 2026 national outdoor lists, the deepest NCAA D1 track and field programs are BYU (47), Georgia (46) and Oregon (44). In D2 the leaders are Pittsburg State University (84), Grand Valley State University (74) and West Texas A&M (45); in D3 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (121), Wartburg (44) and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (44); and in the NAIA Doane (65), Marian (Ind.) (61) and British Columbia (57).
Updated 2026-10-30 · Preferred Recruit · from the 2026 NCAA D1, D2, D3 and NAIA outdoor qualifying lists on TFRRS
Best NCAA D1 track and field programs (2026)
| # | Program | Top-50 entries | Men | Women | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYU | 47 | 20 | 27 | 14 |
| 2 | Georgia | 46 | 18 | 28 | 16 |
| 3 | Oregon | 44 | 27 | 17 | 16 |
| 4 | Arkansas | 42 | 23 | 19 | 13 |
| 5 | Florida | 41 | 15 | 26 | 16 |
| 6 | Texas A&M | 39 | 20 | 19 | 17 |
| 6 | Texas Tech | 39 | 21 | 18 | 13 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 38 | 23 | 15 | 17 |
| 9 | Nebraska | 36 | 18 | 18 | 13 |
| 9 | LSU | 36 | 18 | 18 | 12 |
| 11 | Alabama | 34 | 17 | 17 | 13 |
| 11 | USC | 34 | 14 | 20 | 13 |
| 13 | Illinois | 32 | 12 | 20 | 13 |
| 14 | Washington | 31 | 13 | 18 | 12 |
| 15 | Texas | 28 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| 16 | Minnesota | 27 | 14 | 13 | 15 |
| 16 | Kansas State | 27 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| 18 | Arizona | 25 | 13 | 12 | 15 |
| 18 | Kentucky | 25 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
| 18 | New Mexico | 25 | 10 | 15 | 11 |
| 18 | Oklahoma State | 25 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| 22 | Princeton | 24 | 14 | 10 | 14 |
| 22 | Iowa State | 24 | 14 | 10 | 13 |
| 22 | Ole Miss | 24 | 17 | 7 | 13 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 24 | 13 | 11 | 12 |
Best NCAA D2 track and field programs (2026)
| # | Program | Top-50 entries | Men | Women | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburg State University | 84 | 41 | 43 | 18 |
| 2 | Grand Valley State University | 74 | 45 | 29 | 17 |
| 3 | West Texas A&M | 45 | 13 | 32 | 20 |
| 4 | Minnesota State | 44 | 24 | 20 | 16 |
| 4 | Missouri Southern | 44 | 23 | 21 | 12 |
| 4 | Adams State | 44 | 20 | 24 | 6 |
| 7 | Colorado School of Mines | 42 | 25 | 17 | 16 |
| 8 | Harding | 40 | 22 | 18 | 17 |
| 8 | Wingate | 40 | 20 | 20 | 13 |
| 10 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 36 | 13 | 23 | 14 |
| 11 | Nebraska-Kearney | 35 | 19 | 16 | 14 |
| 12 | Western Washington | 33 | 20 | 13 | 14 |
| 13 | Angelo State | 32 | 15 | 17 | 14 |
| 14 | NW Missouri | 31 | 22 | 9 | 15 |
| 15 | Central Missouri | 30 | 12 | 18 | 17 |
Best NCAA D3 track and field programs (2026)
| # | Program | Top-50 entries | Men | Women | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | 121 | 58 | 63 | 20 |
| 2 | Wartburg | 44 | 25 | 19 | 18 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 44 | 18 | 26 | 18 |
| 2 | Rowan | 44 | 37 | 7 | 12 |
| 5 | Johns Hopkins | 40 | 11 | 29 | 16 |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 33 | 28 | 5 | 15 |
| 6 | SUNY Geneseo | 33 | 20 | 13 | 13 |
| 8 | Tufts | 31 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
| 8 | Washington University in St. Louis | 31 | 8 | 23 | 11 |
| 10 | Emory | 30 | 12 | 18 | 16 |
| 10 | MIT | 30 | 16 | 14 | 13 |
| 12 | Williams | 29 | 8 | 21 | 11 |
| 13 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps | 24 | 9 | 15 | 13 |
| 14 | Amherst | 23 | 13 | 10 | 14 |
| 14 | Middlebury | 23 | 13 | 10 | 13 |
Best NAIA track and field programs (2026)
| # | Program | Top-50 entries | Men | Women | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doane | 65 | 30 | 35 | 18 |
| 2 | Marian (Ind.) | 61 | 31 | 30 | 19 |
| 3 | British Columbia | 57 | 18 | 39 | 18 |
| 4 | Central Methodist | 50 | 14 | 36 | 14 |
| 5 | Indiana Tech | 48 | 31 | 17 | 17 |
| 6 | Cumberlands | 45 | 30 | 15 | 13 |
| 7 | Concordia (Neb.) | 42 | 19 | 23 | 18 |
| 8 | College of Idaho | 41 | 20 | 21 | 15 |
| 9 | St. Thomas (Fla.) | 40 | 23 | 17 | 16 |
| 10 | Dickinson St. | 38 | 19 | 19 | 13 |
| 11 | Southeastern U. | 37 | 14 | 23 | 17 |
| 12 | Indiana Wesleyan | 36 | 21 | 15 | 16 |
| 13 | Eastern Oregon | 34 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| 14 | Dordt | 32 | 11 | 21 | 16 |
| 15 | Life | 31 | 17 | 14 | 11 |
How this ranking works
For each division, every individual event on the 2026 national outdoor qualifying list counts the top 50 men and top 50 women. A program scores one entry for each spot its athletes hold, so an athlete in two events counts twice. Relays are left out. "Events" is how many different events the program had a top-50 athlete in, which shows range. The ranking measures depth of national-level talent, not championship points or how good a fit a school is for you.
Full rankings for every program, by event group and by season, updated every Monday in season: college track and field rankings.
A program that ranks lower here can still be the right place: see which programs develop athletes best, and search your mark to see where it fits.
Common questions
What is the best college for track and field in 2026?
By national-list depth, BYU in NCAA D1 (47 top-50 entries), Pittsburg State University in D2, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in D3 and Doane in the NAIA.
What is the best D2 track and field school?
Pittsburg State University (84), Grand Valley State University (74) and West Texas A&M (45) had the most athletes in the top 50 of the 2026 NCAA D2 outdoor list.
What is the best D3 track and field school?
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (121), Wartburg (44) and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (44) had the most athletes in the top 50 of the 2026 NCAA D3 outdoor list. Division III gives no athletic scholarships.
Should I pick a college by its ranking?
Not on its own. The best fit is a program where your marks are near its Recruit or Walk-On level, the academics fit, and the coaches develop athletes. A top-ranked team may have no room in your event.
Using this data
Coaches, journalists and researchers are welcome to cite these numbers with a link to this page: https://trackandfieldstandards.com/guides/best-colleges-for-track-and-field.html. Counts come from the 2026 national outdoor qualifying lists on TFRRS (top 50 per event, men and women, relays excluded).