by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 8 schools for Men’s Basketball (Division I) 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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Monmouth University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in West Long Branch, NJ, Monmouth University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $210,942 in revenue per athlete, compared with $210,942 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,376 in athletic aid per athlete.
Seton Hall University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Seton Hall University is a private not-for-profit school based in South Orange, NJ. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 970, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 36%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $575,819, against $575,819 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $32,496.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public institution. Rutgers University-New Brunswick records an NCAA APR of 951, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 45%. The program generates about $1,071,793 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,071,793 spent per athlete. The school awards about $26,379 in athletic aid per athlete.
New Jersey Institute of Technology earned the #4 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Newark, NJ. New Jersey Institute of Technology records an NCAA APR of 970, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $162,485, compared with $160,172 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,477.
Saint Peter's University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division I), at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jersey City, NJ. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 44%. The program generates about $171,531 in revenue per athlete, compared with $171,531 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,025.
Princeton University landed the #6 spot this year. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit school based in Princeton, NJ. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $143,844, against $143,844 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rider University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lawrenceville, NJ. The team's NCAA APR score is 950, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. The program generates about $149,687 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $149,687 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,540.
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Teaneck, NJ, Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 945, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. About 36% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $124,811 in revenue per athlete, against $124,811 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,185 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
