by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 8 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found University of Kentucky to be the best college for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Kentucky. Based in Lexington, KY, University of Kentucky is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 0%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,424,716, against $1,424,716 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,921.
University of Louisville came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). University of Louisville is a public school based in Louisville, KY. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 40%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,340,728, against $873,769 in expenses. The school awards about $21,083 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bellarmine University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Bellarmine University is a private not-for-profit school based in Louisville, KY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. Team revenue averages $157,716 per participant, against $157,716 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,105.
Northern Kentucky University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Highland Heights, KY, Northern Kentucky University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 972, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $181,269, against $181,269 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,809.
Eastern Kentucky University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Richmond, KY, Eastern Kentucky University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 983, alongside a GSR of 87%. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $137,639 per participant, compared with $137,639 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,644 per athlete.
Murray State University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Murray State University is a public school based in Murray, KY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 960, alongside a GSR of 89%. About 21% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $269,533 in revenue per athlete, against $174,098 in expenses. The school awards about $11,774 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Kentucky University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Bowling Green, KY, Western Kentucky University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, with a Graduation Success Rate of 67%. Its federal graduation rate is 13%. Team revenue averages $165,374 per participant, against $165,374 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,243.
Morehead State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Morehead, KY, Morehead State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 971, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $118,032 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $122,954 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,170 per athlete.
*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.