Best Baseball Universities and Colleges
It’s that time of year again; when college hopefuls start hunting for the universities that will best serve their needs as student athletes. But finding the right baseball universities and teams for you or your child can be a challenge with so many options to choose from.
So how do you figure out which one is most worth your time and money?
If you’re like many parents and student athletes, you might start by looking at the latest NCAA standings from the past year or two or three. But this only tells you how well a team performs on the rankings.
You might think about asking former or current students and athletes, but the risk of bias is always a possibility. Coaches may not even be able to speak with you during certain parts of the year, which only makes the search even more difficult
So that’s why we have created this handy guide.
What is this guide for?
Because we recognize the challenge in finding the best universities and schools for you, we want to do our part to help.
This guide will teach you what you should be searching for and asking about while hunting for the best college for you. It will also use our criterion to create a list of the top 20 baseball schools in our country.
Even if you don’t do any research on your own, our guide will give you 20 awesome options for your own college recruiting search.
But before we can get into our rankings, you have to know what we use to make our rankings.
What makes baseball universities great?
There are literally millions of articles and books published to date that talk about what essentials are required for a college or university to be worth your time. There are some differences or additions that matter more to athletic students than purely academic students, but the ground is very common between the two.
After reviewing many articles and guides, we have created a core four requirements that a university or college must excel in to have a chance at appearing on our list.
Without further ado, here’s what we came up with.
National Rankings
Let’s face it.
Rankings matter, because no one wants to play for a team that doesn’t perform well on the field. That’s why our list will largely be comprised of those most winningest teams at the collegiate level.
Why is this important?
Any student-athlete knows that a strong winning record helps them get noticed. If you or your child has dreams of getting noticed by professional baseball coaches, then you know that a large part of being noticed is being a part of a winning team’s formula.
When your team suffers a long losing streak, coaches may not pay as much attention to your performance and may even question whether or not you are really contributing as much as you should.
It may be unfair to say, but many coaches think that success comes from success, so these records count.
Academic Quality of universities
Athletics is physical demanding and every day accidents and injuries can cut even the most promising career short. That’s part of the reason why the NCAA and similar organizations are quick to tell you that they are looking for students who are great athletes rather than simply great athletes.
So when you’re not training or find yourselves off the field, a great baseball college has to have a strong focus on high quality academics.
Why is this important?
Unless a student-athlete is fortunate enough to be selected for professional play, they will graduate from university searching for a career to call their own. For many of the best paying jobs and careers, a diploma and high marks in your studies is a major facet for starting strong in any career track.
Universities with a strong emphasis on academics are more likely to prepare students for their post-collegiate careers.
But with those out of the way, you might be wondering what else a school can provide its athletes. Simply put, we have to ask about the fans.
Fanbase support
Any athlete will tell you that a large part of why we play is to make the fans happy. There’s a reason why fans cheering for your team is a common part of many great sports stories and films.
Why is this important?
With social media being a bigger part of news reporting and hype generation, the more fans a school gets, the more likely an athlete will appear on social media. With increased awareness, an athlete stands a greater chance of being noticed by professional outlets.
There’s also the motivational and mental aspect to consider. As fans have a way of making a player play better just by coming out and supporting them. So those universities that have the highest numbers of fans and attendants have a motivational advantage.
But how can schools help athletes get in the best shape and condition to impress their fans?
Resources and special features offered to the athletes
Any athlete, from amateur student athletes to professionals, will tell you the same thing. That being the best for your teammates is hard work. Keeping up with your physical training and looking great on the field requires as much work from your school as it does from you.
High quality gyms, saunas, on-site medical staff, and more can help extend an athletes career far more than most can guess. That’s why we’ll be looking at these extras when we offer our ratings below.
Why is this important?
College is expensive and athletic training takes a lot of time. So you want to go to the colleges that will help you make best use of your time and money.
From high quality gyms, personal trainers, and healthcare staff, to great stadiums to play in, these things matter. Teams and colleges that most respect your time will appear higher on our list for this reason.
Now that we know what we’ll be looking for on our list, let’s actually get right to our list.
Top 20 Best Baseball Universities or Colleges
#20
Florida State University
Florida State University appears high on our list because of their university’s overall record of 43-19, 16-13 in ACC (9-9 vs. Top 25). The university also features a rich camp program in their Florida State University Seminoles Super Skills Baseball Academy, which we talk about at this link.
Florida State University is a public, coeducational, sea-grant, space-grant, state university in Tallahassee, Florida.
The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. With 16 colleges and over 129 undergraduate majors and 231 graduate programs, it’s easy to see why this one supports students on and off the field.
#19
Clemson University
Originally Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina, Clemon is a public coeducational university that has become one of the state’s largest universities. With several accreditations, it boasts serving over 18,000 undergraduate students and maintains an 18:1 student to faculty ratio.
We chose this university because of their multiple accreditations and small classroom sizes which helps ensure that students will receive the educational assistance they need and will not have to compete for individual instruction.
Baseball players will be interested to read our write-up about their overnight training camp here to see for yourself why this is a great choice for rising students.
#18
California State University Fullerton
This College is an affiliation of the California State University system. It currently serves over 34,000 undergraduate students with a near even split bbetween male and female students. We chose this university because of its selective enrollment process that only accepts about 48% of all applicants, ensuring that your fellow students are serious about their education.
It is ranked highly as 2018’s 202nd best college in US News and World Report Best College rankings. This is in addition to being considered one of the most innovative schools in the country.
If you’re interested in taking part in this great university, we urge you to check out our full write-up of the Titans baseball camp at this link.
#17
Vanderbilt University
This University, which was named after its successful railroads and shipping business magnate and philanthropist founder, is a member of the Southeastern Universities Research Association. This private university serves around 6,900 undergraduates with a near exact gender split and only accepts around 11% of all applicants.
Despite this, the university boasts a 14th rank place in National Universities from the 2018 edition of US News and World Reports Best college rankings. Their distinctive black and gold colors are also a big name in sports, from Baseball to their women’s lacrosse team.
To learn more about this amazing team, why not review their statistics in our write-up about their baseball camp, right at this link.
#16
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina shares a remarkably low faculty to student ratio of around 18:1 and is the flagship of the South Carolina university system. With around 25,600 students, you might imagine that the school is one of the more selective of universities, but they have an average enrollment acceptance in the higher 60 percents.
The university boasts being listed as 186th in 2017 Forbes Magazines list of America’s Best Colleges as well as placing highly on several top university lists. The university works well on the field as well with the Gamecocks earning NCAA championships, as well as conference championships.
You can learn more about this team by reading about their prospect camp at this link.
#15
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University Bulldogs look great on the field in their Maroon and White colors. This team has earned their place on this list with their focus on strong academics and athletics.
The university is a member of APLU (Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities) and services over 18,000 students with a high 71% enrollment acceptance rate. Their 20:1 student to faculty ratio has helped earn their place as 90th in the top Public Schools ranking as well as high marks on several other lists.
You can learn more about this university by reading our listing about their All Skills Camp with our write-up.
#14
Stanford University
No top baseball college is complete without a mention of Stanford University. Hailing from beautiful Stanford California, the team in Cardinal and White represents this private research university.
Considered by many to be the world’s most reputable university, Stanford boasts the highest mark in Forbes’ 2017 list of America’s Best Colleges and placed 5th in the 2018 list of National Universities in US News and World Reports Best Colleges.
With these high marks, it’s no surprise that the university has a very selective 5% acceptance rate and ranks among one of the lowest student to faculty ratios on this list. If you can make the cut, this university is strongly worth your consideration.
A great way to meet the team is to participate in their baseball camp, which we talk about here.
#13
Auburn University
Originally the East Alabama Male College. Auburn University has become the state’s second largest university as well as it’s oldest public land-grant university. With a total student population of over 22,000 undergraduates, this university still maintains an average 19:1 student to faculty ratio.
Because of this, the university has made in the top 200 percentile of Forbes Magazine’s List of America’s Best Colleges.
The Tigers, as the team is known, wears burnt orange and navy blue colors and stands tall as a strong baseball team with a fervent following among fans. If you want to get noticed by this amazing squad, you should check out our write up about their camp here at this link.
#12
Stetson University
Stetson is a private nonprofit university that was founded by Henry Addison DeLand. It comes as no surprise then that the university has one of the lowest student to faculty ratios on our list with an amazing 13:1.
We selected this university for our list because it offers over 60 majors and minors as well as a comprehensive Master’s degree and dual degree program. Most of the faculty, at around 95%, hold Ph.D. or equivalent degrees and has a mission of creativity in it’s community.
The Green and White colors that mark this university’s baseball team also bring in great crowds each time they play, so this one is definitely worth your time.
If you’d like to see what the team is all about, why not check out what we thought about their baseball camp at this link.
#11
East Tennessee State University
This public coeducational university in lovely Johnson City, Tennessee is home to over 14,000 undergraduate and professional students. With an enrollment acceptance rate of around 80%, it’s not hard to see why this is a popular option.
But it’s not just the high acceptance rate that draws students in, as it’s ranked as a Tier 2 university in National Universities and is considered to hold a high rank in Business Program rankings.
As far as sports, the Buccaneers baseball roster is one of 17 intercollegiate men’s and women’s sports teams, with the baseball team campaigning in the Southern Conference of Division I, NCAA competition, where they became the 2013 Atlantic Sun Tournament champions.
If this team interests you, you can’t go wrong by checking out their baseball camp, which we covered in this article.
#10
Duke University
What list would be complete without a mention of Duke University? This private research university is a member of the Consortium on Financing Higher Education and the Universities Research Association. It also holds membership in other similarly prestigious organizations.
This university is considered to be one of the top performing academic institutions earning it the 8th place slot in 2017 Forbes Magazine’s List of America’s Best Colleges.
As far as sports, the Duke Blue Devils show their skill in the Atlantic Coast Conference of Division I NCAA play, with five of their 16 NCAA team national championships coming from their amazing baseball squad.
If you want to train like The Blue Devils do, then you may want to check out our write up about their baseball camp, here.
#9
University of Washington
Speaking of research universities, our number 9 pick is none other than the University of Washington. This university is considered one of the pioneering universities of the west coast, which has earned it a place among the members of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the Universities Research Association.
This university ranks highly among the nation’s top academic institutions, earning 54th in the 2017 edition of the US News and World Reports Best Colleges National Universities rankings. And, it is 16th in the Top Public Schools rankings. With a 17:1 student ratio even with over 46,000 students, this is incredible.
The Huskies, in their purple and gold colors, compete in the Pacific-12 Conference of Division one NCAA play. To get a sample of how they compete, be sure to check out their baseball camp or read about it in our article here.
#8
University of Minnesota
This university is the flagship university of the University of Minnesota system. As one of the oldest and largest campuses of the system members, the University of Minnesota had a lot to prove. But our research shows that it proves itself with flying colors.
Not only does this university rank highly on best colleges list, such as it’s 26th place in the Top Public School Rankings. It also earns recognition in Forbes, where it earned 119th place in their 2017 listing of America’s Best Colleges.
This university stands tall in athletics with 23 men’s and women’s varsity teams competing in Division I NCAA Level play. The Golden Gophers in their maroon and gold are always a fan-favorite.
We have done a write-up about their camp at this link here.
#7
University of Texas at Austin
The With the Longhorns being five-time NCAA Tournament Champions, it’s hardly surprising that they appear so highly on our list. The University of Texas at Austin has plenty more to offer than great athletics.
With over 40,000 undergraduate students and more than 11,000 postgraduates, this university has the 8th largest student population in the country. Even with this enormous figure, it still ranks in the top 100 of Forbes Magazine’s 2017 list of America’s Best Colleges.
Besides these academic achievements and the frequent championship wins, The Longhorns are always good for excellent performances on the field, making their burnt orange and white colors a delight for fans. To see for yourself how they train, we recommend checking out this link to learn more about their training camp.
#6
University of Mississippi
The Rebels in their cardinal red and navy blue may be a surprising entry on this list, especially when we’re this high up, but we believe there’s a lot to gain from being a part of this student staff.
As a member of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities as well as APLU (Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities) and SURA (Southeastern Universities Research Association), the college stands for academic excellence. With just over 19,000 students and a student to faculty ratio of 18:1, it also makes it easy for students to get the help they need.
They also rank highly in Best Value School rankings, making this a strong choice. Athletically, the team competes in the Southeastern Conference of Division I NCAA competition. We wrote an article about their training camps that you can read at this link.
#5
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University in Lubbock Texas is the flagship for the Texas Tech University System. It has accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
At the time of writing, it services over 30,000 undergraduate students and over 6,000 postgraduates with an impressive 21:1 student to faculty ratio. The university places highly on multiple best universities lists including US News and World Reports Best Colleges rankings.
Athletically, the Red Raiders in their bold scarlet and black play in the Big 12 conference of Division 1 NCAA play. This link will tell you everything you need to know about their training camp.
#4
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, originally North Carolina University, is a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the Southeastern Universities Research Association.
It offers an amazing 77 bachelor’s program, 110 master’s, 64 doctorate, and 7 professional programs, making this a great place to further your education. Because of this wide variety of educational programs, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is considered one of the nation’s top-performing universities.
Athletically, the university competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I as the Tar Heels. The Tar Heel baseball team has already won six Conference Tournament Championships. The team has also 10 College World Series appearances and 30 NCAA Tournament appearances.
This link is where we discuss their baseball training camps, so check it out.
#3
University of Florida
The University of Florida has a 2,000-acre campus in Gainesville, Florida. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of over 34,000 with a student-faculty ratio of 20:1. One thing to note is that nearly half of their classes have fewer than 20 students.
This university is ranked as one of the very best in academics, earning a 93rd place in the 2018 edition of U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges rankings.
Athletically, the university is amazing as well. As the university has, over it’s 111 years existence, won a total of 39 national team championships, 34 while under the NCAA umbrella. This team competes in the Southeastern Division I Conference.
Every year, many rising athletes train at their baseball camp, which you can read about at this link.
#2
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas carries accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission making it one of the most academically successful universities on this list. With a student population of over 22,000 undergraduates and a 63% enrollment acceptance rate, it takes a lot to join this elite student body.
But if you can make it, then students will be able to enjoy classroom sizes with a 19:1 student to faculty rate. It’s also considered one of strongest universities, earning it’s place as the flagship and largest university of the Arkansas System.
The team is a member of the Southeastern Division I NCAA conference. The Razorbacks perform well and are looking to do great things in the seasons to come. They hold annual baseball camps which you can read about at this link.
#1
Oregon State University
Our number one choice for Bets Baseball Colleges goes to none other than Oregon State University in Corvallis. As the state’s largest university, it has earned accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
Unlike many, it uses a quarter-based academic calendar, which seems to be popular as it has an undergraduate student population of over 25,000 students, while maintaining an average student to faculty ratio of 18:1. These facets have made this one of the top-tier academic universities, earning it high marks in the 2018 edition of the US News and World Reports Best Colleges rankings.
The Beavers play in the Pac-12 Conference and always make their mark season after season. You can learn more about their training camps at this link.
