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2023 Top Southeast Region Men's D1 (FBS) Football Schools

45 Colleges
$37,033 Avg Tuition & Fees*
61% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

It's not easy to decide which college to attend when there are so many options available for student athletes. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men's Football in the Southeast Region ranking is part of that endeavor.

Our analysis looked at 45 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for D1 (FBS) Men's Football athletes in the Southeast Region. Our ranking methodology focuses a number of different objective factors - such as the overall quality of the school, the school's athletic competitiveness, and the amount of athletic aid per student - to make this determination. Having a great sports team is not enough - the school must also focus on academic excellence.

See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.

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Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as online students or returnings adults.

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Top Colleges in the Southeast Region for D1 (FBS) Men's Football athletes in the Southeast Region

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Top 15% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$127,603,129 Team Revenue
990 Academic Progress Rate

The University of Alabama tops this year’s ranking as the best school for D1 (FBS) Men’s Football athletes in the Southeast Region. UA is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and, has a large student population. In , this school awarded 7,332 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates. UA brought in $127,603,129 while tallying up $75,005,971 in expenses for its FBS Men’s Football team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $52,597,158. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 990. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. UA excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read full sports report on The University of Alabama

2
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina
#23 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$68,912,760 Team Revenue
993 Academic Progress Rate

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clemson University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Colleges for D1 (FBS) Men’s Football athletes in the Southeast Region list. Clemson University is a large public school located in Clemson, South Carolina that handed out 5,123 bachelor’s degrees in . Clemson brought in $68,912,760 while tallying up $50,539,277 in expenses for its FBS Men’s Football team. Thus, the team actually made $18,373,483, which isn’t bad at all. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 993. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, Clemson also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis. Full Clemson University Sports Report

3
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
#15 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$74,206,277 Team Revenue
$57,194 Avg Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on our list means University of Miami is a great place for D1 (FBS) Men’s Football athletes in the Southeast Region working on their bachelor’s degree. Coral Gables, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,419 students in . On the financial side of things, the FBS Men’s Football team at U Miami made $74,206,277 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, U Miami also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking. Read More…

4
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
#2 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$33,582,944 Team Revenue
984 Academic Progress Rate

A rank of #4 on our list means Vanderbilt University is a great place for D1 (FBS) Men’s Football athletes in the Southeast Region working on their bachelor’s degree. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,440 students in . Speaking financially, the FBS Men’s Football team at Vanderbilt took home $33,582,944 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 984. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Vanderbilt also made our overall quality list, coming in at #2. Full Vanderbilt University Sports Report

5
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama
Top 10% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$106,726,055 Team Revenue
980 Academic Progress Rate

Out of the 45 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Auburn University landed the #5 spot on the list. Auburn University is a large public school located in Auburn, Alabama that handed out 5,764 bachelor’s degrees in . The FBS Men’s Football team at Auburn made $106,726,055 in revenue, while incurring $52,254,828 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $54,471,227 in profit. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 980. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, Auburn also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis. Read full sports report on Auburn University

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
#12 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$93,206,919 Team Revenue
973 Academic Progress Rate

University of Florida landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In , this school awarded 10,063 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates. The team at UF took home $93,206,919 in revenue and paid out $60,894,176 in expenses in recent times. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $32,312,743 in profit. The academic progress rate of the team is 973. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis. Read More…

7
#11 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$28,788,322 Team Revenue
978 Academic Progress Rate

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #7. Georgia Tech is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,015 bachelor’s degrees in . The team at Georgia Tech took home $28,788,322 in revenue and paid out $26,244,520 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $2,543,802, which isn’t bad at all. The great academic progress rate of 978 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Georgia Tech excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list. Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Sports Report

8
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
#13 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$52,962,813 Team Revenue
958 Academic Progress Rate

Virginia Tech ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. This large public school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 7,289 bachelor’s degrees in . The FBS Men’s Football team at Virginia Tech made $52,962,813 in revenue, while incurring $37,820,809 in expenses. Thus, the team actually made $15,142,004, which isn’t bad at all. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 958. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Virginia Tech also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking. Full Virginia Tech Sports Report

9
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
#24 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$78,697,218 Team Revenue
931 Academic Progress Rate

Florida State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 9,550 students in . Florida State brought in $78,697,218 while tallying up $53,984,333 in expenses for its FBS Men’s Football team. Thus, the team actually made $24,712,885, which isn’t bad at all. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 931. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking. Read full sports report on Florida State University

10
Top 10% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$100,982,596 Team Revenue
967 Academic Progress Rate

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. UT Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 5,533 bachelor’s degrees in . The FBS Men’s Football team at UT Knoxville made $100,982,596 in revenue, while incurring $39,755,021 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $61,227,575 in profit. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 967. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, UT Knoxville also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis. Read More…

11
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
#22 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$155,951,449 Team Revenue
969 Academic Progress Rate

University of Georgia ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. Located in Athens, Georgia, the large public school awarded 8,790 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . UGA brought in $155,951,449 while tallying up $61,722,123 in expenses for its FBS Men’s Football team. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $94,229,326 in profit. The academic progress rate of the team is 969. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. UGA also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Read More…

12
Top 10% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$18,695,341 Team Revenue
$17,324 Avg Tuition & Fees

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Tampa, Florida, the large public school handed out 10,145 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the FBS Men’s Football team at USF Tampa made $18,695,341 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. USF Tampa excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list. Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Sports Report

13
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#6 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$28,341,365 Team Revenue
990 Academic Progress Rate

Wake Forest University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,546 students in . The FBS Men’s Football team at Wake Forest University brought home $28,341,365 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 990, signifying that team members care about their grades. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great ranking here, Wake Forest University is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

14
Top 10% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$95,453,836 Team Revenue
$28,631 Avg Tuition & Fees

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the large public school handed out 4,990 bachelor’s degrees in . The team at Louisiana State University took home $95,453,836 in revenue and paid out $59,384,456 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $36,069,380, which isn’t bad at all. Louisiana State University also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Read More…

15
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
#1 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$64,725,236 Team Revenue
986 Academic Progress Rate

Duke University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 2,312 bachelor’s degrees in . The FBS Men’s Football team at Duke made $64,725,236 in revenue, while incurring $38,277,925 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $26,447,311. The great academic progress rate of 986 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Duke also took the #1 spot in our overall quality rankings. Read full sports report on Duke University

16
#8 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$55,604,225 Team Revenue
959 Academic Progress Rate

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6,451 bachelor’s degrees in . UNC Chapel Hill brought in $55,604,225 while tallying up $34,398,323 in expenses for its FBS Men’s Football team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $21,205,902. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 959. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great ranking here, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read full sports report on University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

17
UofL crest
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Top 20% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$34,994,931 Team Revenue
984 Academic Progress Rate

With a ranking of #17, University of Louisville did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, the large public school awarded 3,008 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . Speaking financially, the FBS Men’s Football team at UofL took home $34,994,931 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 984 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UofL also is in the top 20% of our overall quality ranking. Full University of Louisville Sports Report

18
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Top 15% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$84,562,640 Team Revenue
$27,410 Avg Tuition & Fees

University of Arkansas landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the large public school awarded 5,305 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . The FBS Men’s Football team at UARK made $84,562,640 in revenue, while incurring $45,994,950 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $38,567,690. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UARK also is in the top 15% of our overall quality ranking. Read More…

19
Top 10% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$63,834,042 Team Revenue
967 Academic Progress Rate

University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a large public school located in Columbia, South Carolina that handed out 7,106 bachelor’s degrees in . The team at UofSC took home $63,834,042 in revenue and paid out $37,272,774 in expenses in recent times. That boils down to a yearly profit of $26,561,268 for the sports team. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 967. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. UofSC also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Read More…

20
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
#17 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$6,317,788 Team Revenue
$62,844 Avg Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #20, Tulane University of Louisiana did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,698 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the FBS Men’s Football team at Tulane made $6,317,788 in revenue. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Tulane excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

21
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
Top 25% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$19,787,210 Team Revenue
960 Academic Progress Rate

West Virginia University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Morgantown, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,438 students in . The FBS Men’s Football team at WVU brought home $19,787,210 in revenue in a single year. The academic progress rate of the team is 960. Read More…

22
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Top 15% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$37,680,136 Team Revenue
971 Academic Progress Rate

University of Kentucky came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 5,449 students in . On the financial side of things, the FBS Men’s Football team at UK made $37,680,136 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 971. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. UK also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Read More…

23
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
Top 15% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$10,417,143 Team Revenue
955 Academic Progress Rate

Appalachian State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. Appalachian State is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In , this school awarded 4,336 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates. The FBS Men’s Football team at Appalachian State brought home $10,417,143 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 955. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Appalachian State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

24
Top 15% in Quality in the Southeast Region
$30,646,197 Team Revenue
981 Academic Progress Rate

University of Central Florida ranked #24 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 15,090 students in . UCF brought in $30,646,197 while tallying up $20,864,907 in expenses for its FBS Men’s Football team. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $9,781,290 in profit. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 981. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great ranking here, UCF is in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

25
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
#7 in Quality in the Southeast Region
$48,118,214 Team Revenue
972 Academic Progress Rate

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I (FBS) Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #25. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 5,483 students in . The FBS Men’s Football team at University of Virginia made $48,118,214 in revenue, while incurring $30,632,861 in expenses. Thus, the team actually made $17,485,353, which isn’t bad at all. The academic progress rate of the team is 972. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. University of Virginia also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Sports Report

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.

References

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