by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 18 schools 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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Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than Fordham University this year for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Bronx, NY, Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $515,062 per participant, with expenses of about $515,062 per participant. Athletic aid averages $32,443 per athlete.
Hofstra University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Hofstra University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hempstead, NY. Hofstra University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 88%. The program generates about $309,642 in revenue per athlete, against $309,642 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $22,514 per athlete.
Colgate University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division I), at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hamilton, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. The program generates about $199,916 in revenue per athlete, compared with $199,916 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,658.
St. John's University-New York earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Queens, NY, St. John's University-New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. About 17% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $2,461,107 in revenue per athlete, compared with $2,461,107 spent per athlete. The school awards about $29,040 in athletic aid per athlete.
Syracuse University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit school based in Syracuse, NY. Syracuse University records an NCAA APR of 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 57%. About 23% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,858,100, compared with $937,429 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $33,068.
University at Buffalo landed the #6 spot this year. University at Buffalo is a public school based in Buffalo, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 972, alongside a GSR of 90%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $284,235 per participant, compared with $284,235 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,340 per athlete.
Marist University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Marist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $175,292 per participant, against $175,292 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,661.
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The program generates about $120,532 in revenue per athlete, compared with $120,532 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wagner College landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Staten Island, NY, Wagner College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $155,390 per participant, with expenses of about $155,390 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,661 per athlete.
Stony Brook University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Stony Brook, NY, Stony Brook University is a public institution. Stony Brook University records an NCAA APR of 948, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $264,371 in revenue per athlete, compared with $264,371 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,341 per athlete.
Cornell University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Ithaca, NY. Cornell University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Team revenue averages $80,447 per participant, against $76,155 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Niagara University placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Niagara University, NY, Niagara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Niagara University records an NCAA APR of 943, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. The program generates about $195,838 in revenue per athlete, compared with $195,838 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,462 per athlete.
University at Albany placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Albany, NY, University at Albany is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 977, and a 81% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. Team revenue averages $165,009 per participant, against $137,784 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,856 per athlete.
St Bonaventure University landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Saint Bonaventure, NY, St Bonaventure University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 960, with a Graduation Success Rate of 67%. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $390,626, against $390,626 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,194.
Iona University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in New Rochelle, NY, Iona University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 957, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. About 43% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $271,581 per participant, with expenses of about $271,581 per participant. Athletic aid averages $10,814 per athlete.
Manhattan University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Riverdale, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 937, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $129,156, with expenses of about $126,956 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,484.
Binghamton University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Binghamton University is a public school based in Vestal, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, alongside a GSR of 60%. About 22% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $174,102, compared with $174,102 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,522 per athlete.
Canisius University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Canisius University is a private not-for-profit school based in Buffalo, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 958, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $118,640, against $118,640 in expenses. The school awards about $9,300 in athletic aid 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
See our data sources and methodologies.