by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 28 colleges for Men’s Baseball 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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Explore the leading programs below:
University of Virginia-Main Campus earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Baseball. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. The program generates about $156,028 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $156,028 per participant. Athletic aid averages $26,976 per athlete.
University of Richmond ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball. This private not-for-profit school is set in University of Richmond, VA. University of Richmond records an NCAA APR of 997, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. The program generates about $45,709 in revenue per athlete, against $45,709 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $27,609 per athlete.
Washington and Lee University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,447 per participant, with expenses of about $8,188 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Liberty University is one of the top schools for Men's Baseball, at #4. Located in Lynchburg, VA, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, alongside a GSR of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. The program generates about $58,219 in revenue per athlete, compared with $58,219 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,589.
Christopher Newport University is one of the top schools for Men's Baseball, at #5. This public school is set in Newport News, VA. Team revenue averages $6,952 per participant, with expenses of about $6,952 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Ashland, VA, Randolph-Macon College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,386 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,386 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
James Madison University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball. Based in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution. James Madison University records an NCAA APR of 974, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $54,022 in revenue per athlete, against $54,022 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,945.
Old Dominion University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball. Old Dominion University is a public school based in Norfolk, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. The program generates about $49,128 in revenue per athlete, compared with $49,128 spent per athlete. The school awards about $24,728 in athletic aid per athlete.
William & Mary did well this year, earning the #9 position. William & Mary is a public school based in Williamsburg, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 975, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 87%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,821, against $35,804 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
University of Mary Washington landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Fredericksburg, VA, University of Mary Washington is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,311, compared with $5,365 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
George Mason University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Fairfax, VA, George Mason University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 86%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,673, with expenses of about $32,673 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,956.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 978, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. About 32% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $29,197 in revenue per athlete, against $88,151 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,706.
Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #13 spot this year. Located in Richmond, VA, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 971, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. About 61% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $40,807 in revenue per athlete, against $40,807 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,187.
Shenandoah University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball. Based in Winchester, VA, Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,764, compared with $4,764 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Lynchburg landed the #15 spot this year. Located in Lynchburg, VA, University of Lynchburg is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,750 per participant, compared with $7,750 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Virginia Military Institute came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Lexington, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 981, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 48%. Team revenue averages $27,046 per participant, with expenses of about $27,046 per participant. The school awards about $11,028 in athletic aid per athlete.
Radford University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Radford University is a public school based in Radford, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 966, alongside a GSR of 96%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,601, with expenses of about $39,601 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,467 per athlete.
Roanoke College came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Located in Salem, VA, Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,682, with expenses of about $4,682 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Longwood University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Farmville, VA, Longwood University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 975, with a Graduation Success Rate of 63%. Its federal graduation rate is 46%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,809, against $33,657 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $17,569 per athlete.
Norfolk State University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball. Norfolk State University is a public school based in Norfolk, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 987, with a Graduation Success Rate of 76%. The federal graduation rate stands at 37%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,101, against $18,101 in expenses. The school awards about $11,545 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emory & Henry University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball. Based in Emory, VA, Emory & Henry University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,357 per participant, with expenses of about $10,357 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,871.
Eastern Mennonite University placed #22 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Harrisonburg, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,636, compared with $5,636 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Mary Baldwin University placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball. Based in Staunton, VA, Mary Baldwin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,455 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,455 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Located in Virginia Beach, VA, Virginia Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,345 per participant, with expenses of about $3,345 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Averett University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Located in Danville, VA, Averett University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,846, with expenses of about $3,846 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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.