by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 35 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
The University of Texas at Austin earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Located in Austin, TX, The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution. The University of Texas at Austin records an NCAA APR of 988, and a 73% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 47%. Team revenue averages $1,086,096 per participant, with expenses of about $1,388,080 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,650.
Southern Methodist University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Dallas, TX. Southern Methodist University records an NCAA APR of 978, and a 77% Graduation Success Rate. About 38% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $1,045,955 per participant, with expenses of about $1,045,955 per participant. The school awards about $56,388 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rice University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Rice University is a private not-for-profit school based in Houston, TX. Rice University records an NCAA APR of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Team revenue averages $313,822 per participant, against $313,822 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $41,166 per athlete.
Abilene Christian University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division I), at #4. Based in Abilene, TX, Abilene Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. Team revenue averages $210,483 per participant, compared with $173,583 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,012.
University of Houston came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Houston, TX, University of Houston is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 33%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,041,257, with expenses of about $1,041,257 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,948.
Baylor University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Waco, TX, Baylor University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 950, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,316,070, with expenses of about $1,316,070 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $30,455.
University of Arizona ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Tucson, AZ. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 56% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 13%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,131,768, compared with $1,131,768 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,887 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Norman, OK. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 958, alongside a GSR of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $574,661, compared with $838,281 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,789.
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Stillwater, OK. The team's NCAA APR score is 988, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 31% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,063,726, compared with $678,269 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,335.
Arizona State University Campus Immersion placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Tempe, AZ, Arizona State University Campus Immersion is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 948, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $670,874 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $670,874 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,490 per athlete.
Texas Christian University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Fort Worth, TX, Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Texas Christian University records an NCAA APR of 966, and a 50% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 17%. The program generates about $918,851 in revenue per athlete, compared with $918,851 spent per athlete. The school awards about $37,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Tulsa ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Tulsa, OK. University of Tulsa records an NCAA APR of 960, with a Graduation Success Rate of 69%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $423,675 in revenue per athlete, against $423,675 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $34,797.
Texas State University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in San Marcos, TX. Texas State University records an NCAA APR of 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $227,728 per participant, with expenses of about $227,728 per participant. The school awards about $16,371 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of New Mexico-Main Campus landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Albuquerque, NM, University of New Mexico-Main Campus is a public institution. University of New Mexico-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 967, alongside a GSR of 83%. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $456,671, against $416,477 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,510 per athlete.
Texas A&M University-College Station came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in College Station, TX, Texas A&M University-College Station is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 966, with a Graduation Success Rate of 58%. Its federal graduation rate is 23%. The program generates about $983,416 in revenue per athlete, compared with $894,559 spent per athlete. The school awards about $17,123 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oral Roberts University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Tulsa, OK, Oral Roberts University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $165,191, with expenses of about $165,191 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,443 per athlete.
The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in El Paso, TX. The University of Texas at El Paso records an NCAA APR of 978, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 7% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $477,804 in revenue per athlete, against $234,235 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,754.
Texas Tech University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Lubbock, TX, Texas Tech University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 963, with a Graduation Success Rate of 33%. The federal graduation rate stands at 10%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,065,079, with expenses of about $1,042,489 per participant. The school awards about $13,662 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Texas A&M University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). East Texas A&M University is a public school based in Commerce, TX. East Texas A&M University records an NCAA APR of 985, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $109,843, with expenses of about $109,807 per participant. Athletic aid averages $12,747 per athlete.
Houston Christian University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Houston, TX, Houston Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 77%. About 25% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $97,595 per participant, with expenses of about $97,595 per participant. The school awards about $20,924 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sam Houston State University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Huntsville, TX. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 0%. The program generates about $141,828 in revenue per athlete, against $141,828 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,743.
University of the Incarnate Word landed the #22 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in San Antonio, TX. The team's NCAA APR score is 982, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 23% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $68,887 in revenue per athlete, against $68,887 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,744.
The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Based in Arlington, TX, The University of Texas at Arlington is a public institution. The University of Texas at Arlington records an NCAA APR of 950, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $138,032 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $138,032 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,666.
The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in San Antonio, TX. The University of Texas at San Antonio records an NCAA APR of 945, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $181,108, compared with $181,108 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,155 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Texas placed #25 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). Based in Denton, TX, University of North Texas is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 954, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 10%. The program generates about $296,576 in revenue per athlete, against $296,576 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,504.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.
