Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes
Colleges that compete in NCAA Division III athletics, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes430 schools
430 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Competes in NCAA Division III (the school's athletics association, from federal and association data).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in California
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 94% graduate
- 2
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Maryland
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 94% graduate
- 3
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Massachusetts
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 96% graduate
- 4Tie
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Illinois
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 96% graduate
- 4Tie
Williams College
Williamstown, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 94% graduate
- 6
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 92% graduate
- 7
Pomona College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 93% graduate
- 8Tie
Amherst College
Amherst, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 94% graduate
- 8Tie
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 91% graduate
- 10
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Missouri
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 94% graduate
- 11
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Maine
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 95% graduate
- 12
Haverford College
Haverford, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 90% graduate
- 13
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Virginia
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 94% graduate
- 14
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 92% graduate
- 15
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Vermont
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 91% graduate
- 16
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 94% graduate
- 17
Emory University
Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Georgia
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 91% graduate
- 18
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 91% graduate
- 19
Colby College
Waterville, ME · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 89% graduate
- 20
Bates College
Lewiston, ME · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 90% graduate
- 21
Tufts University
Medford, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 3% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 94% graduate
- 22
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Iowa
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 88% graduate
- 23
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 93% graduate
- 24
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 92% graduate
- 25
United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, CT · PublicHonor RollTop 3% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 93% graduate
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Institute of Technology | $16,075 | — | $128,566 | 94% |
| Johns Hopkins University | $18,809 | $10,250 | $87,555 | 94% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $20,111 | $14,768 | $143,372 | 96% |
| University of Chicago | $14,860 | $15,000 | $91,885 | 96% |
| Williams College | $17,716 | $12,761 | $88,665 | 94% |
| Wellesley College | $25,496 | $10,000 | $84,803 | 92% |
| Pomona College | $19,285 | $11,782 | $77,779 | 93% |
| Amherst College | $23,367 | $13,740 | $77,644 | 94% |
| Claremont McKenna College | $28,849 | $13,500 | $104,736 | 91% |
| Washington University in St. Louis | $21,786 | $17,500 | $86,182 | 94% |
| Bowdoin College | $14,398 | $18,500 | $82,735 | 95% |
| Haverford College | $25,314 | $13,621 | $79,966 | 90% |
| Washington and Lee University | $23,781 | $19,500 | $94,810 | 94% |
| Swarthmore College | $23,149 | $17,500 | $80,257 | 92% |
| Middlebury College | $31,483 | $13,857 | $76,310 | 91% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $31,944 | $21,750 | $114,862 | 94% |
| Emory University | $22,585 | $18,250 | $80,137 | 91% |
| Hamilton College | $28,985 | $17,000 | $78,411 | 91% |
| Colby College | $17,180 | $19,157 | $80,490 | 89% |
| Bates College | $29,351 | $14,275 | $69,498 | 90% |
| Tufts University | $39,998 | $16,250 | $83,214 | 94% |
| Grinnell College | $17,648 | $17,500 | $62,830 | 88% |
| Wesleyan University | $30,177 | $17,000 | $73,897 | 93% |
| Harvey Mudd College | $35,924 | $25,000 | $138,687 | 92% |
| United States Coast Guard Academy | — | — | — | 93% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
By state
- Arkansas 3
- California 13
- Connecticut 10
- District of Columbia 3
- Georgia 8
- Illinois 21
- Indiana 10
- Iowa 10
- Kentucky 5
- Maine 11
- Maryland 9
- Massachusetts 38
- Michigan 7
- Minnesota 19
- Mississippi 3
- Missouri 3
- New Hampshire 5
- New Jersey 14
- New York 60
- North Carolina 10
- Ohio 21
- Oregon 6
- Pennsylvania 60
- Rhode Island 4
- Tennessee 3
- Texas 15
- Vermont 3
- Virginia 19
- Washington 4
- Wisconsin 24