by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 12 schools 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Knoxville, TN, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,354,461, against $1,349,461 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,054.
Belmont University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Belmont University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Team revenue averages $267,528 per participant, compared with $267,528 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,742.
Vanderbilt University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Nashville, TN, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $740,129 in revenue per athlete, against $740,129 in expenses. The school awards about $42,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lipscomb University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 60% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $184,720, with expenses of about $184,720 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,176.
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Murfreesboro, TN, Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 961, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 13%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $218,898, with expenses of about $218,898 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,110 per athlete.
University of Memphis landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Memphis, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 966, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. About 27% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $581,256, with expenses of about $581,256 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,106 per athlete.
Austin Peay State University landed the #7 spot this year. This public school is set in Clarksville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 965, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 23%. Team revenue averages $172,719 per participant, against $172,719 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,483 per athlete.
Tennessee Technological University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Tennessee Technological University is a public school based in Cookeville, TN. Tennessee Technological University records an NCAA APR of 967, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 36% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $101,577 per participant, against $101,577 in expenses. The school awards about $14,453 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga did well this year, earning the #9 position. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public school based in Chattanooga, TN. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga records an NCAA APR of 975, alongside a GSR of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 14%. The program generates about $135,011 in revenue per athlete, compared with $135,011 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,025 per athlete.
Tennessee State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Nashville, TN, Tennessee State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 960, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $125,635 in revenue per athlete, against $125,635 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,651.
The University of Tennessee-Martin ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Martin, TN, The University of Tennessee-Martin is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. Its federal graduation rate is 0%. The program generates about $102,696 in revenue per athlete, against $102,601 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,021.
East Tennessee State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Johnson City, TN, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. East Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 955, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 0%. The program generates about $144,678 in revenue per athlete, against $144,678 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,444 per athlete.
*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.