by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 23 programs for Men’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
Boston University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $214,024, compared with $214,024 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,954 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Connecticut came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Storrs, CT, University of Connecticut is a public institution. University of Connecticut records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. The program generates about $1,551,948 in revenue per athlete, against $1,551,948 in expenses. The school awards about $20,776 in athletic aid per athlete.
Boston College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Boston College is a private not-for-profit school based in Chestnut Hill, MA. Boston College records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 29%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $664,754, compared with $720,369 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $29,391 per athlete.
Northeastern University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division I), at #4. Located in Boston, MA, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Northeastern University records an NCAA APR of 989, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. The program generates about $284,724 in revenue per athlete, against $284,724 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $24,558 per athlete.
Quinnipiac University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Quinnipiac University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hamden, CT. Quinnipiac University records an NCAA APR of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $173,672, compared with $173,672 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $27,084 per athlete.
University of Vermont came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Burlington, VT, University of Vermont is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. The program generates about $196,243 in revenue per athlete, against $196,250 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,164.
Fairfield University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Fairfield University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fairfield, CT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 968, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $196,107 in revenue per athlete, against $196,107 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,587 per athlete.
College of the Holy Cross did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Worcester, MA, College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $174,981, with expenses of about $174,981 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,801.
Providence College ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Providence, RI, Providence College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 957, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 43%. Team revenue averages $782,413 per participant, compared with $782,413 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,955.
University of Rhode Island ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). University of Rhode Island is a public school based in Kingston, RI. The team's NCAA APR score is 983, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $523,814, with expenses of about $523,814 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,857.
Merrimack College did well this year, earning the #11 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in North Andover, MA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 80%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $135,845, compared with $135,845 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,394 per athlete.
Yale University did well this year, earning the #12 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Haven, CT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 996, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $131,353 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $131,353 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public school based in Amherst, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 967, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. About 36% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $365,968, against $365,968 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $17,175 per athlete.
Harvard University landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Harvard University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $110,773, compared with $110,773 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). University of New Hampshire-Main Campus is a public school based in Durham, NH. The team's NCAA APR score is 953, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. Team revenue averages $150,709 per participant, compared with $150,709 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,869 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dartmouth College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hanover, NH. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $88,607, with expenses of about $88,607 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Brown University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Team revenue averages $119,985 per participant, compared with $119,985 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stonehill College did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in Easton, MA, Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 962, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 78%. The program generates about $112,472 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $112,472 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,278.
Sacred Heart University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Fairfield, CT, Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 963, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 47%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $137,136, against $137,136 in expenses. The school awards about $11,128 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bryant University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Smithfield, RI, Bryant University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 930, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. The program generates about $142,443 in revenue per athlete, against $142,443 in expenses. The school awards about $14,982 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Lowell, MA, University of Massachusetts-Lowell is a public institution. University of Massachusetts-Lowell records an NCAA APR of 947, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 29%. The program generates about $156,203 in revenue per athlete, compared with $156,203 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,361 per athlete.
University of Maine did well this year, earning the #22 position. University of Maine is a public school based in Orono, ME. The team's NCAA APR score is 965, and a 87% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $124,660, with expenses of about $124,660 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,613.
Central Connecticut State University placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in New Britain, CT, Central Connecticut State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 77%. Its federal graduation rate is 31%. Team revenue averages $78,831 per participant, against $78,831 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,791.
*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.