by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 6 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs 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:
No school ranked higher than University of Connecticut this year for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Storrs, CT, University of Connecticut is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Team revenue averages $1,551,948 per participant, against $1,551,948 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,776 per athlete.
Quinnipiac University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Hamden, CT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Team revenue averages $173,672 per participant, against $173,672 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,084.
Fairfield University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division I), at #3. Located in Fairfield, CT, Fairfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. Fairfield University records an NCAA APR of 968, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $196,107 per participant, with expenses of about $196,107 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,587 per athlete.
Yale University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Yale University is a private not-for-profit school based in New Haven, CT. Yale University records an NCAA APR of 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $131,353, compared with $131,353 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Sacred Heart University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Fairfield, CT, Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 963, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 47% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $137,136, compared with $137,136 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,128 in athletic aid per athlete.
Central Connecticut State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list 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, and a 77% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 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. Rankings consider 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.