by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 19 schools 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.
Not quite what you need? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Elon University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Elon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Elon, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $203,923, compared with $203,923 spent per athlete. The school awards about $25,795 in athletic aid per athlete.
High Point University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in High Point, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Team revenue averages $274,154 per participant, compared with $233,804 spent per athlete. The school awards about $18,469 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wake Forest University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Winston-Salem, NC, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 965, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 19%. The program generates about $767,947 in revenue per athlete, against $767,947 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $38,933.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public school based in Chapel Hill, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 976, and a 70% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 54%. Team revenue averages $2,483,880 per participant, compared with $1,046,163 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,771 per athlete.
Duke University landed the #5 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Durham, NC. Duke University records an NCAA APR of 963, alongside a GSR of 60%. Its federal graduation rate is 25%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,515,300, against $2,124,574 in expenses. The school awards about $34,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Raleigh, NC, North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 981, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. About 18% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,266,239, against $790,594 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,384 per athlete.
Campbell University landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Buies Creek, NC, Campbell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 47% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $132,935, compared with $132,935 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,433.
Davidson College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Davidson, NC, Davidson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 958, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $343,790 per participant, against $273,374 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,830 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Charlotte, NC, University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 982, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. About 25% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $334,024, compared with $253,269 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,522 per athlete.
University of North Carolina Wilmington placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Wilmington, NC, University of North Carolina Wilmington is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 30%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $179,608, against $179,608 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,667.
Appalachian State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Appalachian State University is a public school based in Boone, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 953, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. The program generates about $144,165 in revenue per athlete, against $144,165 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,299.
Gardner-Webb University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Boiling Springs, NC, Gardner-Webb University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 968, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 46% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $46,749 per participant, compared with $46,749 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,936 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Greensboro, NC, University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 950, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $165,342, against $165,342 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,162.
East Carolina University landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Greenville, NC, East Carolina University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 962, alongside a GSR of 70%. Its federal graduation rate is 0%. Team revenue averages $268,688 per participant, with expenses of about $268,014 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,584.
University of North Carolina Asheville came in at #15 in this year's ranking. University of North Carolina Asheville is a public school based in Asheville, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, alongside a GSR of 67%. About 26% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $92,051, compared with $92,051 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,593.
North Carolina Central University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Based in Durham, NC, North Carolina Central University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 942, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Team revenue averages $88,503 per participant, against $88,503 in expenses. The school awards about $14,804 in athletic aid per athlete.
Queens University of Charlotte placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Charlotte, NC, Queens University of Charlotte is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 944, alongside a GSR of 60%. The federal graduation rate stands at 40%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $103,460, with expenses of about $103,460 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,282 per athlete.
Western Carolina University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in Cullowhee, NC, Western Carolina University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 935, alongside a GSR of 89%. Its federal graduation rate is 38%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $94,256, with expenses of about $94,256 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,960.
North Carolina A & T State University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Greensboro, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 934, alongside a GSR of 70%. The federal graduation rate stands at 20%. Team revenue averages $119,997 per participant, against $119,997 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,465.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.