by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 928 colleges for Men’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual evaluates each program using 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:
Stanford University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. Located in Stanford, CA, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. The program generates about $672,836 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $672,836 per participant. Athletic aid averages $42,012 per athlete.
Northwestern University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Evanston, IL, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $1,030,850 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,052,062 per participant. Athletic aid averages $53,919 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville earned the #3 place for student athletes. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public school based in Knoxville, TN. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Team revenue averages $2,354,461 per participant, against $1,349,461 in expenses. The school awards about $29,054 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Connecticut came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Storrs, CT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. The program generates about $1,551,948 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,551,948 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,776 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fordham University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Located in Bronx, NY, Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $515,062 per participant, with expenses of about $515,062 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $32,443.
Clemson University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Clemson University is a public school based in Clemson, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $740,749 per participant, compared with $740,749 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,730 in athletic aid per athlete.
Johns Hopkins University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit school based in Baltimore, MD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,857, with expenses of about $26,709 per participant. Athletic aid averages $2,612 per athlete.
University of Miami came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Coral Gables, FL. University of Miami records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $1,276,083 per participant, compared with $1,026,182 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $38,474 per athlete.
University of Chicago did well this year, earning the #9 position. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. The program generates about $34,632 in revenue per athlete, against $34,632 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Notre Dame landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $779,135 in revenue per athlete, compared with $779,135 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $34,391 per athlete.
Boston University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Based in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. Boston University records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $214,024 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $214,024 per participant. The school awards about $27,954 in athletic aid per athlete.
Temple University placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Philadelphia, PA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 92%. Team revenue averages $423,156 per participant, with expenses of about $423,156 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,567.
Villanova University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Villanova University is a private not-for-profit school based in Villanova, PA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $1,103,619 per participant, compared with $1,060,674 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,480.
Hofstra University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in Hempstead, NY, Hofstra University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 88%. Team revenue averages $309,642 per participant, with expenses of about $309,642 per participant. The school awards about $22,514 in athletic aid per athlete.
Belmont University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Located in Nashville, TN, Belmont University is a private not-for-profit institution. Belmont University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $267,528, with expenses of about $267,528 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,742 per athlete.
Drexel University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Located in Philadelphia, PA, Drexel University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $221,405, compared with $221,405 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $25,843 per athlete.
Furman University did well this year, earning the #17 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Greenville, SC. Furman University records an NCAA APR of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $270,199, with expenses of about $270,199 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,699.
University of Southern California ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Located in Los Angeles, CA, University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $769,105 per participant, against $769,105 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $40,006.
New York University placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. New York University is a private not-for-profit school based in New York, NY. The program generates about $31,812 in revenue per athlete, against $31,555 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Indiana University-Bloomington landed the #20 spot this year. Indiana University-Bloomington is a public school based in Bloomington, IN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 44% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $2,751,388 per participant, against $1,674,654 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,161.
University of San Francisco placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Located in San Francisco, CA, University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. The program generates about $428,846 in revenue per athlete, compared with $428,846 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $31,788 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Based in Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. Its federal graduation rate is 38%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $999,871, with expenses of about $976,491 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,174 per athlete.
Emory University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Located in Atlanta, GA, Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $51,850 per participant, against $32,217 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Washington University in St Louis came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Located in St. Louis, MO, Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,160, with expenses of about $32,475 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
San Diego State University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Located in San Diego, CA, San Diego State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $898,229, against $535,923 in expenses. The school awards about $21,450 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
To learn more about the colleges below, click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | Cincinnati, OH |
| 52 | Colgate University | Hamilton, NY |
| 53 | Lafayette College | Easton, PA |
| 54 | Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT |
| 55 | Washington and Lee University | Lexington, VA |
| 56 | University of California-Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 57 | West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV |
| 58 | Hamilton College | Clinton, NY |
| 59 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL |
| 60 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 61 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester, MA |
| 62 | University of Vermont | Burlington, VT |
| 63 | Tulane University of Louisiana | New Orleans, LA |
| 64 | Bucknell University | Lewisburg, PA |
| 65 | Seattle University | Seattle, WA |
These colleges also performed well in our ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 141 | Denison University | Granville, OH |
| 142 | University of Toledo | Toledo, OH |
| 143 | University at Buffalo | Buffalo, NY |
| 144 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | Carbondale, IL |
| 145 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 146 | University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA |
| 147 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Lincoln, NE |
| 148 | Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, CA |
| 149 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 150 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | Omaha, NE |
| 151 | Rockhurst University | Kansas City, MO |
| 152 | Michigan Technological University | Houghton, MI |
| 153 | University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ |
| 154 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 155 | University of Rhode Island | Kingston, RI |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 156 | Connecticut College | New London, CT |
| 157 | Rollins College | Winter Park, FL |
| 158 | Dickinson College | Carlisle, PA |
| 159 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | Atlanta, GA |
| 160 | Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 161 | Longwood University | Farmville, VA |
| 162 | Union University | Jackson, TN |
| 163 | Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA |
| 164 | Fairfield University | Fairfield, CT |
| 165 | Christopher Newport University | Newport News, VA |
| 166 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 167 | Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs, NY |
| 168 | Campbell University | Buies Creek, NC |
| 169 | Saint Joseph’s University - Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA |
| 170 | Saint Francis University | Loretto, PA |
| 171 | Calvin University | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 172 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark, NJ |
| 173 | Texas State University | San Marcos, TX |
| 174 | University of North Florida | Jacksonville, FL |
| 175 | Ursinus College | Collegeville, PA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 176 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 177 | Randolph-Macon College | Ashland, VA |
| 178 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh, NC |
| 179 | Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA |
| 180 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | Stillwater, OK |
| 181 | Cedarville University | Cedarville, OH |
| 182 | Boise State University | Boise, ID |
| 183 | Harding University | Searcy, AR |
| 184 | Biola University | La Mirada, CA |
| 185 | Haverford College | Haverford, PA |
| 186 | George Mason University | Fairfax, VA |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.