by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 12 colleges for Men’s Baseball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Ohio State University-Main Campus earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Baseball (Division I). Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Columbus, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 987, alongside a GSR of 95%. About 58% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $104,407, against $104,407 in expenses. The school awards about $27,151 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I). This public school is set in Cincinnati, OH. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 991, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $77,461, with expenses of about $77,461 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,882.
Kent State University at Kent ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I). This public school is set in Kent, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 68%. Team revenue averages $45,834 per participant, with expenses of about $45,834 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,976 per athlete.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Men's Baseball (Division I), at #4. Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Bowling Green, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,027, compared with $27,645 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,840.
Xavier University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Xavier University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cincinnati, OH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 976, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 69%. The program generates about $10,700 in revenue per athlete, against $43,585 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,280.
Ohio University-Main Campus ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball (Division I). Based in Athens, OH, Ohio University-Main Campus is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,547, with expenses of about $31,547 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,284.
University of Toledo landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Toledo, OH, University of Toledo is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 965, and a 87% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. The program generates about $30,332 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $30,332 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,660.
Miami University-Oxford came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Oxford, OH, Miami University-Oxford is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 948, alongside a GSR of 90%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $36,758 in revenue per athlete, compared with $36,758 spent per athlete. The school awards about $17,790 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Dayton placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I). Based in Dayton, OH, University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 954, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Team revenue averages $24,188 per participant, against $44,278 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,913.
Wright State University-Main Campus did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Dayton, OH, Wright State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, and a 87% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 65%. Team revenue averages $29,336 per participant, against $29,336 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,387 per athlete.
Youngstown State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Youngstown State University is a public school based in Youngstown, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. The federal graduation rate stands at 48%. The program generates about $21,687 in revenue per athlete, compared with $21,687 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,634.
University of Akron Main Campus placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I). University of Akron Main Campus is a public school based in Akron, OH. University of Akron Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 956, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $15,034 in revenue per athlete, against $15,034 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,189 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.