2026 Best Colleges for Men’s Baseball (Division II) in Illinois

Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 5 schools for Men’s Baseball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

To arm you with the information you need, 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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Top 5 Colleges for Men’s Baseball (Division II)

Learn more about these schools below:

1

Lewis University
Romeoville, IL

85% Academic Quality Percentile

45 Team Participants

No school ranked higher than Lewis University this year for Men's Baseball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Romeoville, IL. Team revenue averages $14,212 per participant, with expenses of about $14,212 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,669.

2

University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield, IL

80% Academic Quality Percentile

49 Team Participants

University of Illinois Springfield ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball (Division II). Located in Springfield, IL, University of Illinois Springfield is a public institution. The program generates about $12,211 in revenue per athlete, against $12,211 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,768 per athlete.

3

Roosevelt University
Chicago, IL

77% Academic Quality Percentile

55 Team Participants

Roosevelt University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball (Division II). Based in Chicago, IL, Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,507 per participant, compared with $16,507 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,633.

4

McKendree University
Lebanon, IL

73% Academic Quality Percentile

86 Team Participants

McKendree University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball (Division II). Based in Lebanon, IL, McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,978 per participant, with expenses of about $8,978 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,695.

5

Quincy University
Quincy, IL

67% Academic Quality Percentile

72 Team Participants

Quincy University landed the #5 spot for Men's Baseball (Division II). Located in Quincy, IL, Quincy University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,650 per participant, compared with $11,841 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,507 per athlete.

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Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.

This ranking is produced 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

• NCAA Academic Progress Rate & Graduation Success Rate — National Collegiate Athletic Association (athlete academic outcomes).
• Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) — U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education (team participation, revenue, expenses, and aid).
• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) — National Center for Education Statistics (institutional data).

See our data sources and methodologies.