by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 5 colleges 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than University of Arkansas this year for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Fayetteville, AR. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 976, and a 57% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 13%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,692,826, with expenses of about $1,416,935 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,062.
University of Central Arkansas landed the #2 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Conway, AR, University of Central Arkansas is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 962, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $87,797 in revenue per athlete, compared with $87,797 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,449 in athletic aid per athlete.
Arkansas State University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Jonesboro, AR, Arkansas State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 951, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $189,046, compared with $189,046 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,588 per athlete.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public school based in Little Rock, AR. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 957, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. The program generates about $148,412 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $148,412 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,309 per athlete.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Pine Bluff, AR, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is a public institution. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff records an NCAA APR of 937, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,786, compared with $48,786 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,028 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.