by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 12 schools for Men’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Clemson University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $740,749 in revenue per athlete, against $740,749 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,730.
Furman University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Furman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greenville, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $270,199 per participant, with expenses of about $270,199 per participant. The school awards about $28,699 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wofford College is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division I), at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $187,865 in revenue per athlete, compared with $187,865 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $26,368 per athlete.
College of Charleston is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division I), at #4. College of Charleston is a public school based in Charleston, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 976, alongside a GSR of 89%. About 58% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $338,461 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $338,461 per participant. The school awards about $11,551 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Columbia earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Columbia, SC, University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public institution. University of South Carolina-Columbia records an NCAA APR of 957, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 21%. Team revenue averages $1,103,290 per participant, with expenses of about $791,011 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,645.
Coastal Carolina University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Conway, SC, Coastal Carolina University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 952, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 45%. Team revenue averages $203,066 per participant, against $203,066 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,875.
Charleston Southern University landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Charleston, SC, Charleston Southern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Charleston Southern University records an NCAA APR of 974, alongside a GSR of 87%. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $112,588, compared with $112,588 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,092 per athlete.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina landed the #8 spot this year. This public school is set in Charleston, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 971, alongside a GSR of 60%. About 35% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $104,566 in revenue per athlete, compared with $96,196 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,439.
Winthrop University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Rock Hill, SC, Winthrop University is a public institution. Winthrop University records an NCAA APR of 955, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. Team revenue averages $121,501 per participant, against $121,501 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,244 per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Upstate did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Spartanburg, SC, University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 962, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $94,636, with expenses of about $94,636 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,411 per athlete.
Presbyterian College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Clinton, SC, Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 951, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 17%. The program generates about $113,749 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $113,749 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,454.
South Carolina State University landed the #12 spot this year. Based in Orangeburg, SC, South Carolina State University is a public institution. South Carolina State University records an NCAA APR of 948, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $88,174, against $88,174 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,529.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.