The 25 Schools Stocked With Jocks

Whether a Big 10 university or rural liberal-arts college, nearly every school tries to recruit top athletes, but some campuses are more committed to sports than others. Which are best for students who value sports as much as class? We considered the percentage of students on varsity teams, the number of varsity and intramural sports offered on campus, and the amount  of money spent on athletics vs. instruction. Among the in the top 10, two stand out: Bates and Bowdoin, both small liberal-arts colleges in Maine.

About our Rankings:
Contributing editor Peter Bernstein and researcher Courtney Kennedy drew on dozens of sources to compile these rankings including information from the National Center for Education Statistics, The Washington Monthly, and College Prowler. A portion of the data they used is represented in the following school profiles, but for the full methodologies, see our FAQ here. And if you’re not a rankings fan, take a look at this piece by Colin Diver, the president of Reed College,  about why schools dislike rankings and how families can use them wisely as part of their college decision-making process.