by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 15 schools for Men’s Baseball (Division I) in Plains States 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:
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I) in Plains States. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a public school based in Minneapolis, MN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 76%. The program generates about $9,112 in revenue per athlete, against $71,877 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $27,174 per athlete.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $42,741 in revenue per athlete, compared with $124,196 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,793 per athlete.
University of Missouri-Columbia landed the #3 spot for Men's Baseball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Columbia, MO, University of Missouri-Columbia is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 32%. Team revenue averages $93,714 per participant, with expenses of about $93,714 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,637 per athlete.
University of Kansas came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Lawrence, KS, University of Kansas is a public institution. University of Kansas records an NCAA APR of 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. The program generates about $56,905 in revenue per athlete, against $116,131 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,506.
North Dakota State University-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Men's Baseball (Division I) in Plains States, at #5. This public school is set in Fargo, ND. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. The program generates about $33,108 in revenue per athlete, compared with $33,108 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,886 per athlete.
Creighton University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Creighton University is a private not-for-profit school based in Omaha, NE. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 981, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. The federal graduation rate stands at 48%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,422, with expenses of about $73,081 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,224.
Southeast Missouri State University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I) in Plains States. This public school is set in Cape Girardeau, MO. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,231, with expenses of about $27,231 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,582 per athlete.
University of Iowa came in at #8 in this year's ranking. University of Iowa is a public school based in Iowa City, IA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 981, alongside a GSR of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Team revenue averages $13,776 per participant, with expenses of about $74,422 per participant. The school awards about $21,176 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Louis University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Saint Louis, MO, Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 973, alongside a GSR of 96%. About 46% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $50,623 per participant, with expenses of about $50,623 per participant. The school awards about $13,446 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wichita State University landed the #10 spot this year. Wichita State University is a public school based in Wichita, KS. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, alongside a GSR of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 39%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $64,384, compared with $64,384 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,114.
Kansas State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Manhattan, KS, Kansas State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 957, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 34% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $80,735, against $80,735 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,682.
Missouri State University-Springfield landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Springfield, MO, Missouri State University-Springfield is a public institution. Missouri State University-Springfield records an NCAA APR of 983, alongside a GSR of 84%. The federal graduation rate stands at 48%. Team revenue averages $60,536 per participant, against $60,536 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,364.
University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #13 spot this year. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public school based in Omaha, NE. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 40%. The program generates about $8,772 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $27,538 per participant. The school awards about $10,713 in athletic aid per athlete.
South Dakota State University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball (Division I) in Plains States. South Dakota State University is a public school based in Brookings, SD. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. The program generates about $18,951 in revenue per athlete, compared with $18,951 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,424.
Lindenwood University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball (Division I) in Plains States. Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Charles, MO. Lindenwood University records an NCAA APR of 977, with a Graduation Success Rate of 78%. The federal graduation rate stands at 47%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,231, against $22,231 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,722 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
See our data sources and methodologies.
