by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 5 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
University of Missouri-Columbia tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division I). Located in Columbia, MO, University of Missouri-Columbia is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 32%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $93,714, with expenses of about $93,714 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,637 per athlete.
Southeast Missouri State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Cape Girardeau, MO, Southeast Missouri State University is a public institution. Southeast Missouri State University records an NCAA APR of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,231, compared with $27,231 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,582 in athletic aid per athlete.
Missouri State University-Springfield landed the #3 spot for Men's Baseball (Division I). Missouri State University-Springfield is a public school based in Springfield, MO. Missouri State University-Springfield records an NCAA APR of 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 84%. Its federal graduation rate is 48%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,536, compared with $60,536 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,364 per athlete.
Saint Louis University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Louis, MO. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 973, alongside a GSR of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 46%. The program generates about $50,623 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $50,623 per participant. The school awards about $13,446 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lindenwood University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball (Division I). Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Charles, MO. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 977, alongside a GSR of 78%. Its federal graduation rate is 47%. Team revenue averages $22,231 per participant, with expenses of about $22,231 per participant. The school awards about $13,722 in athletic aid 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.