by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 10 programs for Men’s Baseball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual weighs a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Not quite what you need? Jump to the options below.
Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than Northwestern University this year for Men's Baseball (Division I). Based in Evanston, IL, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Northwestern University records an NCAA APR of 997, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 87%. Team revenue averages $60,849 per participant, against $80,977 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53,919.
Bradley University is one of the top schools for Men's Baseball (Division I), at #2. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit school based in Peoria, IL. Bradley University records an NCAA APR of 985, alongside a GSR of 96%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $41,654 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $41,654 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,583.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Champaign, IL, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. Team revenue averages $17,790 per participant, against $107,573 in expenses. The school awards about $25,398 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Illinois Chicago ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I). This public school is set in Chicago, IL. University of Illinois Chicago records an NCAA APR of 982, and a 97% Graduation Success Rate. About 70% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $31,462 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $31,462 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,167 per athlete.
Illinois State University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I). This public school is set in Normal, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 58%. Team revenue averages $34,058 per participant, against $34,058 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,477.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Edwardsville, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 987, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,735, compared with $20,735 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,334 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Illinois University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball (Division I). This public school is set in Dekalb, IL. Northern Illinois University records an NCAA APR of 977, with a Graduation Success Rate of 81%. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $25,620 per participant, compared with $25,470 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,138 per athlete.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale landed the #8 spot this year. This public school is set in Carbondale, IL. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale records an NCAA APR of 959, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 59%. The program generates about $34,306 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $34,306 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,525 per athlete.
Eastern Illinois University did well this year, earning the #9 position. This public school is set in Charleston, IL. Eastern Illinois University records an NCAA APR of 975, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $21,055 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $21,055 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,653 per athlete.
Western Illinois University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I). Based in Macomb, IL, Western Illinois University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 970, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. About 52% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $22,748 in revenue per athlete, against $22,748 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,303 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.