by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 14 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is University of Virginia-Main Campus, our #1 college for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Charlottesville, VA, University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $939,050, with expenses of about $876,127 per participant. Athletic aid averages $26,976 per athlete.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University landed the #2 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 958, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 58%. Team revenue averages $565,694 per participant, against $633,618 in expenses. The school awards about $29,706 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Richmond landed the #3 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in University of Richmond, VA, University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $440,461 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $440,461 per participant. The school awards about $27,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
Liberty University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lynchburg, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $371,118, against $371,118 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,589.
Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division I), at #5. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school based in Richmond, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 983, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. The program generates about $602,223 in revenue per athlete, against $602,223 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,187 per athlete.
James Madison University did well this year, earning the #6 position. James Madison University is a public school based in Harrisonburg, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 20%. The program generates about $259,342 in revenue per athlete, against $259,342 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,945.
Old Dominion University landed the #7 spot this year. Old Dominion University is a public school based in Norfolk, VA. Old Dominion University records an NCAA APR of 966, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $222,005, compared with $222,005 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $24,728 per athlete.
William & Mary landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Williamsburg, VA, William & Mary is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $162,729, against $177,212 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
Longwood University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Farmville, VA, Longwood University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 25% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $289,193 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $253,367 per participant. The school awards about $17,569 in athletic aid per athlete.
George Mason University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Fairfax, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 966, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 44%. The program generates about $361,011 in revenue per athlete, against $361,011 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,956.
Virginia Military Institute landed the #11 spot this year. This public school is set in Lexington, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 954, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. The program generates about $124,523 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $124,523 per participant. The school awards about $11,028 in athletic aid per athlete.
Radford University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Radford, VA, Radford University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 945, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Team revenue averages $148,391 per participant, against $148,391 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,467.
Hampton University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Hampton, VA, Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 941, alongside a GSR of 79%. Its federal graduation rate is 43%. The program generates about $138,966 in revenue per athlete, compared with $187,090 spent per athlete. The school awards about $18,394 in athletic aid per athlete.
Norfolk State University landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Norfolk, VA, Norfolk State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 942, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 29%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $197,976, with expenses of about $197,976 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,545 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.