by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 17 programs for Men’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Brigham Young University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Provo, UT, Brigham Young University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $1,649,839 in revenue per athlete, against $1,001,768 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,191 per athlete.
University of Colorado Boulder earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Boulder, CO. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 64% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. The program generates about $701,105 in revenue per athlete, compared with $506,374 spent per athlete. The school awards about $29,674 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Fort Collins, CO, Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 977, alongside a GSR of 90%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $464,404, against $464,404 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,001.
Boise State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Boise State University is a public school based in Boise, ID. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 974, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $437,480 per participant, against $378,280 in expenses. The school awards about $29,790 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Denver earned the #5 place for student athletes. University of Denver is a private not-for-profit school based in Denver, CO. The team's NCAA APR score is 961, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 19% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $252,238, with expenses of about $252,238 per participant. Athletic aid averages $42,890 per athlete.
University of Wyoming ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Laramie, WY, University of Wyoming is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 983, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $271,865, against $271,865 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,612.
University of Utah came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, UT, University of Utah is a public institution. University of Utah records an NCAA APR of 961, alongside a GSR of 67%. The federal graduation rate stands at 15%. Team revenue averages $943,426 per participant, with expenses of about $497,473 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,047.
Utah State University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Logan, UT, Utah State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 971, with a Graduation Success Rate of 67%. About 36% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $381,200, against $381,200 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,542 per athlete.
Utah Valley University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Orem, UT, Utah Valley University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, alongside a GSR of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 0%. The program generates about $137,200 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $137,200 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,013.
Weber State University landed the #10 spot this year. This public school is set in Ogden, UT. Weber State University records an NCAA APR of 989, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 22%. The program generates about $138,984 in revenue per athlete, against $138,984 in expenses. The school awards about $10,446 in athletic aid per athlete.
Idaho State University landed the #11 spot this year. Located in Pocatello, ID, Idaho State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 967, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. The program generates about $89,255 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $89,255 per participant. The school awards about $12,538 in athletic aid per athlete.
Montana State University landed the #12 spot this year. This public school is set in Bozeman, MT. Montana State University records an NCAA APR of 941, alongside a GSR of 75%. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $149,109 per participant, against $173,642 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,472 per athlete.
The University of Montana ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Missoula, MT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 970, and a 70% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 31%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $190,185, compared with $218,655 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,798 per athlete.
University of Northern Colorado landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Greeley, CO, University of Northern Colorado is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, alongside a GSR of 78%. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $132,844, against $132,844 in expenses. The school awards about $12,220 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Idaho ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). University of Idaho is a public school based in Moscow, ID. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 963, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 15%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $101,715, compared with $101,715 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,739.
Utah Tech University placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Saint George, UT, Utah Tech University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 935, and a 81% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 43%. Team revenue averages $136,367 per participant, with expenses of about $135,305 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,796 per athlete.
Southern Utah University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Southern Utah University is a public school based in Cedar City, UT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 930, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 40%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $79,728, against $86,298 in expenses. The school awards about $10,065 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.