2026 Best Colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division I) in Louisiana
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 12 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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Top 12 Colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division I)
Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than Tulane University of Louisiana this year for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in New Orleans, LA. Tulane University of Louisiana records an NCAA APR of 990, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. About 27% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $242,184, compared with $351,365 spent per athlete. The school awards about $36,413 in athletic aid per athlete.
Louisiana Tech University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Ruston, LA, Louisiana Tech University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 970, alongside a GSR of 77%. The federal graduation rate stands at 46%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $197,873, compared with $197,873 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,736 per athlete.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a public school based in Baton Rouge, LA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 964, and a 33% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 7%. The program generates about $851,559 in revenue per athlete, against $694,025 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,802 per athlete.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a public school based in Lafayette, LA. University of Louisiana at Lafayette records an NCAA APR of 965, alongside a GSR of 79%. Its federal graduation rate is 45%. The program generates about $196,642 in revenue per athlete, compared with $196,642 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,444 in athletic aid per athlete.
McNeese State University landed the #5 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Lake Charles, LA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 984, alongside a GSR of 82%. Its federal graduation rate is 25%. Team revenue averages $211,285 per participant, against $211,285 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,441 per athlete.
University of Louisiana at Monroe came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Monroe, LA, University of Louisiana at Monroe is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 952, alongside a GSR of 90%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $130,689, with expenses of about $130,689 per participant. The school awards about $12,350 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana landed the #7 spot this year. Northwestern State University of Louisiana is a public school based in Natchitoches, LA. The team's NCAA APR score is 963, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 47% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $120,755 in revenue per athlete, against $85,718 in expenses. The school awards about $12,805 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nicholls State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Thibodaux, LA, Nicholls State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 968, alongside a GSR of 73%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Team revenue averages $72,165 per participant, against $69,813 in expenses. The school awards about $6,823 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of New Orleans landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in New Orleans, LA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 953, alongside a GSR of 75%. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $93,632 per participant, against $93,632 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,626.
Southeastern Louisiana University landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Hammond, LA, Southeastern Louisiana University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 939, with a Graduation Success Rate of 82%. Its federal graduation rate is 29%. Team revenue averages $78,753 per participant, compared with $78,753 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,131 in athletic aid per athlete.
Grambling State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Grambling, LA, Grambling State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 965, and a 69% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. Team revenue averages $67,395 per participant, against $67,395 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,778 per athlete.
Southern University and A & M College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Baton Rouge, LA, Southern University and A & M College is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 966, with a Graduation Success Rate of 64%. The federal graduation rate stands at 20%. Team revenue averages $52,649 per participant, compared with $76,856 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,045 per athlete.
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Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.