by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 8 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:
No school ranked higher than Rutgers University-New Brunswick this year for Men's Baseball (Division I). Based in New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public institution. Rutgers University-New Brunswick records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. The program generates about $103,934 in revenue per athlete, against $103,934 in expenses. The school awards about $26,379 in athletic aid per athlete.
Seton Hall University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball (Division I). Located in South Orange, NJ, Seton Hall University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 74%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,233, with expenses of about $49,233 per participant. The school awards about $32,496 in athletic aid per athlete.
New Jersey Institute of Technology came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball (Division I). New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public school based in Newark, NJ. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, alongside a GSR of 87%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,252, with expenses of about $41,892 per participant. The school awards about $15,477 in athletic aid per athlete.
Princeton University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit school based in Princeton, NJ. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, alongside a GSR of 92%. The program generates about $30,002 in revenue per athlete, compared with $30,002 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Monmouth University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball (Division I). Based in West Long Branch, NJ, Monmouth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 68%. Team revenue averages $34,660 per participant, with expenses of about $34,660 per participant. The school awards about $20,376 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rider University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball (Division I). Based in Lawrenceville, NJ, Rider University is a private not-for-profit institution. Rider University records an NCAA APR of 979, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $23,440 per participant, compared with $23,440 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,540 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Teaneck, NJ. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 30%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,577, compared with $19,577 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,185 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Peter's University did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jersey City, NJ. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 918, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,413, with expenses of about $10,413 per participant. The school awards about $10,025 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
