by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 11 programs for Men’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Our analysis found University of Notre Dame to be the best college for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Indiana. Located in Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 982, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Team revenue averages $779,135 per participant, compared with $779,135 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $34,391 per athlete.
Indiana University-Bloomington came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Bloomington, IN. Indiana University-Bloomington records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate 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.
Purdue University-Main Campus came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Purdue University-Main Campus is a public school based in West Lafayette, IN. Purdue University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 974, alongside a GSR of 75%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $1,164,833 in revenue per athlete, compared with $780,024 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,382.
University of Evansville ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Evansville, IN. The team's NCAA APR score is 972, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 60% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $200,801 in revenue per athlete, compared with $200,801 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,525 per athlete.
Purdue University Fort Wayne earned the #5 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Fort Wayne, IN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 984, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 36% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $228,055 per participant, against $176,451 in expenses. The school awards about $7,345 in athletic aid per athlete.
Butler University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Indianapolis, IN, Butler University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 944, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. The program generates about $922,718 in revenue per athlete, compared with $682,877 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,113 per athlete.
Ball State University landed the #7 spot this year. Ball State University is a public school based in Muncie, IN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 967, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. The program generates about $185,641 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $185,641 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,206.
Valparaiso University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Valparaiso, IN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 966, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $196,130 per participant, against $196,340 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,540.
Indiana State University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Terre Haute, IN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 971, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Team revenue averages $185,874 per participant, compared with $185,874 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,961 per athlete.
Indiana University-Indianapolis landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Indianapolis, IN, Indiana University-Indianapolis is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 953, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 40%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $173,757, with expenses of about $173,757 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,962.
University of Southern Indiana landed the #11 spot this year. This public school is set in Evansville, IN. University of Southern Indiana records an NCAA APR of 953, alongside a GSR of 57%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $78,916 in revenue per athlete, against $78,916 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,037 per athlete.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.