by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 10 colleges for Men’s Baseball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
The University of Alabama tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I). This public school is set in Tuscaloosa, AL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $136,100 in revenue per athlete, compared with $136,100 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,760.
Auburn University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I). Based in Auburn, AL, Auburn University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 998, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. Team revenue averages $96,157 per participant, compared with $176,061 spent per athlete. The school awards about $28,233 in athletic aid per athlete.
Samford University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Samford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Birmingham, AL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,757, compared with $35,527 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,864 per athlete.
University of Alabama at Birmingham came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball (Division I). This public school is set in Birmingham, AL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 981, alongside a GSR of 97%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. The program generates about $37,670 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $35,841 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,655.
University of South Alabama earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Mobile, AL, University of South Alabama is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 979, alongside a GSR of 90%. About 48% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $50,931 per participant, compared with $48,508 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,705 per athlete.
Jacksonville State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball (Division I). Based in Jacksonville, AL, Jacksonville State University is a public institution. Jacksonville State University records an NCAA APR of 977, with a Graduation Success Rate of 81%. The federal graduation rate stands at 68%. Team revenue averages $50,237 per participant, with expenses of about $50,237 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,761.
Troy University landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Troy, AL, Troy University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 962, and a 85% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,978, with expenses of about $36,619 per participant. The school awards about $13,487 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Alabama ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball (Division I). University of North Alabama is a public school based in Florence, AL. University of North Alabama records an NCAA APR of 973, alongside a GSR of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. The program generates about $26,413 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $26,413 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,402 per athlete.
Alabama A & M University landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Normal, AL, Alabama A & M University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 936, with a Graduation Success Rate of 81%. About 46% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,878, compared with $14,351 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,274 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alabama State University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Montgomery, AL, Alabama State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 946, alongside a GSR of 74%. Its federal graduation rate is 43%. The program generates about $20,335 in revenue per athlete, compared with $20,335 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,418 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
See our data sources and methodologies.