by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 41 programs 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:
Rice University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Baseball. Rice University is a private not-for-profit school based in Houston, TX. Rice University records an NCAA APR of 986, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $81,935 per participant, with expenses of about $81,935 per participant. The school awards about $41,166 in athletic aid per athlete.
Abilene Christian University landed the #2 spot for Men's Baseball. Located in Abilene, TX, Abilene Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Abilene Christian University records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 42%. The program generates about $39,933 in revenue per athlete, against $43,543 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,012.
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball. This public school is set in Austin, TX. The team's NCAA APR score is 977, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 51%. Team revenue averages $136,290 per participant, with expenses of about $197,724 per participant. The school awards about $22,650 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Baseball. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a public school based in San Antonio, TX. The team's NCAA APR score is 981, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. The program generates about $59,165 in revenue per athlete, compared with $59,165 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,155.
Texas Christian University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball. Based in Fort Worth, TX, Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 984, and a 66% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. The program generates about $198,856 in revenue per athlete, compared with $198,856 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $37,174 per athlete.
The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Arlington, TX, The University of Texas at Arlington is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 979, with a Graduation Success Rate of 97%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $30,865 in revenue per athlete, compared with $30,865 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,666 per athlete.
University of Dallas ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Irving, TX. The program generates about $5,420 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,420 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Baylor University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Waco, TX, Baylor University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 973, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 53% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $118,073 per participant, compared with $118,073 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $30,455.
Lamar University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Beaumont, TX, Lamar University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 48%. Team revenue averages $40,498 per participant, with expenses of about $40,498 per participant. The school awards about $13,491 in athletic aid per athlete.
Austin College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Sherman, TX, Austin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,489 per participant, with expenses of about $3,958 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
LeTourneau University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball. LeTourneau University is a private not-for-profit school based in Longview, TX. The program generates about $9,023 in revenue per athlete, against $9,023 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Texas Tech University landed the #12 spot this year. Texas Tech University is a public school based in Lubbock, TX. Texas Tech University records an NCAA APR of 982, alongside a GSR of 84%. The federal graduation rate stands at 30%. The program generates about $59,837 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $156,067 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,662.
Texas A&M University-College Station did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in College Station, TX, Texas A&M University-College Station is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 32%. The program generates about $119,870 in revenue per athlete, compared with $187,753 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,123.
Sam Houston State University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Baseball. Based in Huntsville, TX, Sam Houston State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 982, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $36,043 per participant, against $36,043 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,743 per athlete.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball. Based in Edinburg, TX, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, alongside a GSR of 89%. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $36,731 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $36,731 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,144 per athlete.
Texas State University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball. This public school is set in San Marcos, TX. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 974, alongside a GSR of 82%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $60,286 in revenue per athlete, against $60,286 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,371.
Dallas Baptist University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball. Dallas Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Dallas, TX. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, alongside a GSR of 83%. Its federal graduation rate is 38%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $118,620, with expenses of about $105,580 per participant. The school awards about $9,215 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of the Incarnate Word landed the #18 spot this year. Based in San Antonio, TX, University of the Incarnate Word is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 977, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 42%. Team revenue averages $27,600 per participant, compared with $27,600 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,744.
Texas Lutheran University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Baseball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Seguin, TX. Team revenue averages $4,181 per participant, against $4,968 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Belton, TX, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,318, with expenses of about $6,318 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lubbock Christian University landed the #21 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lubbock, TX. Team revenue averages $19,230 per participant, with expenses of about $19,230 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,404 per athlete.
University of Houston did well this year, earning the #22 position. This public school is set in Houston, TX. University of Houston records an NCAA APR of 972, with a Graduation Success Rate of 81%. About 43% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $67,872, with expenses of about $67,872 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,948 per athlete.
Hardin-Simmons University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Hardin-Simmons University is a private not-for-profit school based in Abilene, TX. Team revenue averages $6,134 per participant, with expenses of about $5,648 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Texas A & M International University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Based in Laredo, TX, Texas A & M International University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,148, against $14,148 in expenses. The school awards about $8,327 in athletic aid per athlete.
Houston Christian University did well this year, earning the #25 position. Located in Houston, TX, Houston Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Houston Christian University records an NCAA APR of 950, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $28,225 per participant, compared with $28,225 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,924 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.