by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 7 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Learn more about these schools below:
Our analysis found Brigham Young University to be the best college for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Utah. Based in Provo, UT, Brigham Young University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Team revenue averages $1,649,839 per participant, against $1,001,768 in expenses. The school awards about $13,191 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Utah landed the #2 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Salt Lake City, UT, University of Utah is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 961, and a 67% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 15%. Team revenue averages $943,426 per participant, compared with $497,473 spent per athlete. The school awards about $29,047 in athletic aid per athlete.
Utah State University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Logan, UT, Utah State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 971, and a 67% Graduation Success Rate. About 36% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $381,200 in revenue per athlete, compared with $381,200 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,542 in athletic aid per athlete.
Weber State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Ogden, UT. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, alongside a GSR of 78%. Its federal graduation rate is 22%. The program generates about $138,984 in revenue per athlete, compared with $138,984 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,446 per athlete.
Utah Valley University ranked #5 among the best colleges 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%. About 0% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $137,200 in revenue per athlete, against $137,200 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,013.
Southern Utah University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Cedar City, UT, Southern Utah University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 930, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $79,728 in revenue per athlete, compared with $86,298 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,065.
Utah Tech University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Utah Tech University is a public school based in Saint George, UT. Utah Tech University records an NCAA APR of 935, and a 81% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 43%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $136,367, against $135,305 in expenses. The school awards about $9,796 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
See our data sources and methodologies.