Based on the influence of the athletes associated with these colleges, these are the most influential colleges across all sports.
College sports are an important part of the higher education experience. You may be going to college to learn, earn your degree, and prepare for exciting career opportunities. But while you’re there, you may also have the chance to witness or even participate in a variety of college athletics. With a total revenue of $1.16 billion at the end of fiscal year 2021 (8/31/21), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) plays its own very influential role in shaping campus culture.
But how can you choose the best college for sports based on your personal interests and athletic abilities? One of the best ways to choose a college for sports is to identify the most influential college athletics program in each of the major NCAA sports. Based on our findings at Academic Influence, the most influential college sports programs are those that have produced the most noteworthy athletes and coaches in their respective sports.
We give you a completely unique way of shopping for colleges based on college athletics, whether you’re looking for a school where you can perfect your golf game, a university with an Olympic-caliber track & field program, a Big Ten football school with a spectacular marching band, or a basketball-crazy college with an annual ticket to the Sweet 16. And if you are among the truly elite college athletic performers, one of these schools could even prepare you for an Olympic or professional athletic career.
Every sports college that we rank also includes a full academic profile so that you can base your decision on a combination of academic and athletic factors. To choose the best sports college for your athletic abilities and interests, read on...
If you are interested in an off-the-field sports career? Check out these degrees in sports and athletics
Tuition + fees
$17K
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20%
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94%
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44K
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1430/32
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$56K
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4%
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96%
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13K
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1495/33
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$9K
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20%
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90%
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25K
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1385/30
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$13K
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11%
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92%
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46K
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$12K
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57%
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88%
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56K
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1320/29
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$6K
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30%
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91%
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48K
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1375/31
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$62K
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13%
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92%
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38K
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1435/32
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$16K
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83%
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82%
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43K
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1200/26
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$60K
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6%
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96%
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14K
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1520/34
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$12K
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29%
Graduation
88%
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45K
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1340/29
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$13K
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94%
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68%
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25K
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1175/25
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$12K
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87%
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64%
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40K
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1220/25
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$11K
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60%
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89%
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38K
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1360/29
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$12K
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71%
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81%
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28K
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1240/28
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$11K
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88%
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66%
Student body
73K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/24
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$13K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
72%
Student body
28K
Median SAT/ACT
1221/28
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$14K
Acceptance
14%
Graduation
93%
Student body
43K
Median SAT/ACT
1420/32
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$58K
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59%
Graduation
82%
Student body
22K
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$12K
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40%
Graduation
88%
Student body
39K
Median SAT/ACT
1355/31
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$11K
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85%
Graduation
81%
Student body
41K
Median SAT/ACT
1235/27
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
83%
Student body
24K
Median SAT/ACT
1280/29
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
15%
Graduation
96%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1475/33
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
47%
Graduation
84%
Student body
31K
Median SAT/ACT
1320/29
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
72%
Student body
35K
Median SAT/ACT
1200/27
The best colleges and universities for baseball are largely concentrated in the Western United States. The top college athletics programs for baseball can be found at notable warm-weather schools like the University of Southern California, Arizona State University, and UCLA. USC owes its ranking to a trio of MLB legends in slugging first baseman Mark McGwire and flamethrowing Hall of Fame pitchers Randy Johnson and Tom Seaver. Ranking second on the list, Arizona is the alma mater of Hall of Fame postseason legend Reggie Jackson, as well as Red Sox superstar Dustin Pedroia, and all-time home run king, Barry Bonds.
The best colleges and universities for basketball are exactly the schools you’d expect to see on this list-a who’s who of storied college athletics programs, legendary coaches, and Hall of Fame players. Our list of the best basketball colleges includes programs famous for winning national titles and sending superstar players to the NBA. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill boasts not just the most influential basketball program in the world, but the most influential college athletics program in any sport. Credit this title to the massive influence of Michael Jordan, whose global visibility, fame and commercial impact as an NBA player both expanded the international reach of basketball and transcended the sport itself. UNC can also credit future Hall of Fame player Vince Carter and long-time college and professional coach Larry Brown for their landmark contributions to the NBA and the game as a whole. Other programs rounding out the top 10 include March Madness perennials like Duke, University of Kentucky, and UCLA.
Learn about the most influential colleges in basketball today
College football is massively popular on a regional scale. Our research finds that among all college athletics, the football field is home to the largest number of highly influential programs. Highly influential programs are those with an influence score of over ????. In simpler terms, if you want to go to a college or university with a great football program, you have a lot of schools to choose from. The most noteworthy university football programs cast an enormous influence over their surrounding regions. Not only that, but when it comes to college football, there is a huge amount of influence to go around. The list of best 50 football colleges and universities is topped by major programs like the University of Michigan, Ohio State and the University of Florida. However, schools ranking in the thirties like Clemson, Baylor and Texas A&M also score as highly influential in their own regions. Top football programs generally boast a history of top players. For instance, Michigan enjoys its top spot thanks to former NFL quarterback and current head coach Jim Harbaugh, NFL Hall of Famer Charles Woodson (who remains the only defensive back in history to win college’s coveted Heisman Trophy), and of course, 7-time Super Bowl winning quarterback and consensus G.O.A.T., Tom Brady.
Stanford University tops the list of best colleges and universities for golf, followed by Ohio State and Arizona State. A quick glance at the alumni from each program makes it easy to see why these athletics programs topped our list. Ranking third, Arizona was home to 6-time PGA champion Phil Mickeslon. Ohio State produced the Golden Bear-Jack Nicklaus-who still holds the record for most major PGA championships with 18. And Stanford University tops the list on the strength of Tiger Woods, who ranks as the most influential golfer on our list, even dramatically overshadowing fellow alumnus and legendary predecessor Tom Watson (who tallies an influence score 1/10 that of Tiger Woods).
The best colleges and universities for hockey are largely located in states with notoriously frigid winters. In fact, every single one of these top 25 college athletics programs is located in a cold-weather American state like Massachusetts, Minnesota, or Michigan. The University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of North Dakota, and Boston College top the list of destinations for NCAA hockey players. Wisconsin-Madison ranks the highest on the strength of the Canadian National team’s all-time scorer, Dany Heatley, as well as three-time Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios and Olympic Gold Medal goalie Curtis Joseph.
Lacrosse is the rare area of college athletics dominated by schools concentrated entirely in the Northeastern U.S. With only a few exceptions in the Top 20-University of Virginia (#9), Northwestern University (#12) and Duke (#16)-the remainder of the list is constituted of colleges in the Mid Atlantic and New England regions. Syracuse, Johns Hopkins and the University at Albany, SUNY top the list of best colleges and universities for lacrosse. Syracuse owes its top spot to the combined impact of noted players Casey Powell and twin brothers Gary and Paul Gait.
Many of the best colleges and universities for tennis are also highly ranked academic institutions. At the top of our list is the prestigious Stanford University. This college athletics program registers an influence score more than twice that of the runner-up, Harvard University. Stanford enjoys its ranking on the strength of John McEnroe’s 7 Grand Slam wins and his outsized public persona. Stanford’s chest-bumping identical twins and all-time men’s doubles champs Bob and Mike Bryan rank just behind McEnroe. Harvard’s second-place finish is driven by the Danish-born Caroline Wozniacki, who became the first Scandinavian woman to rank as the top player in the world, a title she held for 71 weeks between 2010 and 2011.
Track and field is one of the most complex college athletics to rank for influence, largely because it is made up of so many different events and areas of focus. Top college track and field athletes will compete in areas like cross-country running, sprinting, pole vaulting, high jumping, discus, and much more. Also included are decathlon events as well as cross country running, which is not officially a track & field event, but which has a great deal of cross overcompetitive diving. In other words, college track and field programs are generally the most athletically diverse programs that we rank. At the top spot is the University of Oregon, followed by the University of Southern California, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Oregon perfectly reflects the athletic diversity of this list. At the top of its influence ranking are three-time New City Marathon winner Alberto Salazar, Olympic Silver Medalist (10,000 m) Galen Rupp, Olympic Gold Medalist Matt Centrowitz (1500 m), record-breaking Olympic Gold Medal sprinter Otis Davis, and college long-jumper/Olympic Silver Medal sprinter Jenna Prandini.
Learn about the most influential colleges in track and field today
The best colleges and universities for soccer are represented by a diverse list of both players and coaches in men’s and women’s soccer. In fact, a number of college athletics programs are included on our list for producing top soccer club managers, as opposed to players. For instance, at the top of the list is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, owing largely to the influence of UNC Women’s Soccer coach Anson Dorrance. With 21 championships, Dorannce is the most successful NCAA women’s soccer coach of all time. UNC’s program can also boast alumni like Olympic Gold Medalist Mia Hamm. Another fascinating and noteworthy inclusion on this list, the Nassau Community College in Garden City New York is the rare public two-year school to appear on a list of top athletics programs. Most college sports rankings are dominated by major athletics programs at four-year colleges. Nassau actually ranks #5 on our list thanks to the distinguished coaching career of alumnus Bruce Arena.
Topping the list of best colleges and universities for swimming and diving is the University of Michigan, followed closely by University of Texas at Austin and University of California, Berkeley. The college athletics swimming program at Michigan owes its top spot to the towering influence of Michael Phelps. With a record 23 gold medals, and 28 medals overall, Phelps is both the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time and the consensus pick as the greatest swimmer the sport has ever seen. Phelps is joined on the list by Olympic teammate and fellow gold-medalist Peter Vanderkaay as well as one-time Wolverines swimmer turned long-time swimming and diving coach (1982-2004) Jon Urbanchek.
Learn about the most influential colleges in swimming and diving today