by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 21 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division I) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Our analysis found University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to be the best college for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States in the The Plains States Region. This public school is set in Minneapolis, MN. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. The program generates about $999,871 in revenue per athlete, compared with $976,491 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Kansas came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Lawrence, KS, University of Kansas is a public institution. University of Kansas records an NCAA APR of 994, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. About 46% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $1,153,629 per participant, compared with $1,038,530 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,506 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Iowa is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States, at #3. University of Iowa is a public school based in Iowa City, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $982,495 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $781,897 per participant. The school awards about $21,176 in athletic aid per athlete.
Creighton University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Omaha, NE. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, alongside a GSR of 80%. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $1,235,476 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $876,226 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,224 per athlete.
University of Missouri-Columbia came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Columbia, MO, University of Missouri-Columbia is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, and a 73% Graduation Success Rate. About 29% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $1,047,659 per participant, compared with $797,444 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,637 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 983, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 27%. The program generates about $1,024,852 in revenue per athlete, against $733,122 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,793 per athlete.
Iowa State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Ames, IA, Iowa State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 82%. Its federal graduation rate is 20%. Team revenue averages $962,514 per participant, with expenses of about $692,184 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,185 per athlete.
Kansas State University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Manhattan, KS, Kansas State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 945, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. The federal graduation rate stands at 43%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $779,130, against $779,130 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,682.
University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. This public school is set in Omaha, NE. University of Nebraska at Omaha records an NCAA APR of 984, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $153,646 in revenue per athlete, compared with $223,359 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,713 per athlete.
Missouri State University-Springfield ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Springfield, MO, Missouri State University-Springfield is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 961, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $220,704, compared with $220,704 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,364.
Drake University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Drake University is a private not-for-profit school based in Des Moines, IA. Drake University records an NCAA APR of 969, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Team revenue averages $356,265 per participant, compared with $356,265 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,413 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Dakota placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. University of North Dakota is a public school based in Grand Forks, ND. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 38% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $160,396 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $160,396 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,250 per athlete.
University of Northern Iowa landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Cedar Falls, IA, University of Northern Iowa is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 985, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 78%. The program generates about $209,683 in revenue per athlete, compared with $209,683 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,720 per athlete.
Saint Louis University landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Saint Louis, MO, Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 940, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. About 29% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $451,912 in revenue per athlete, compared with $451,912 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,446 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Dakota State University-Main Campus placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Fargo, ND, North Dakota State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. The program generates about $131,400 in revenue per athlete, compared with $131,400 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,886.
South Dakota State University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Located in Brookings, SD, South Dakota State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 978, alongside a GSR of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 36%. The program generates about $174,840 in revenue per athlete, compared with $174,840 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,424.
Lindenwood University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Charles, MO. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 949, and a 85% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $77,623 in revenue per athlete, against $77,623 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,722.
Southeast Missouri State University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. This public school is set in Cape Girardeau, MO. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 0%. Team revenue averages $115,329 per participant, with expenses of about $115,329 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,582 per athlete.
University of Missouri-Kansas City landed the #19 spot this year. University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public school based in Kansas City, MO. University of Missouri-Kansas City records an NCAA APR of 944, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 33%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $161,923, against $161,923 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,225.
Wichita State University placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Wichita, KS, Wichita State University is a public institution. Wichita State University records an NCAA APR of 949, with a Graduation Success Rate of 73%. The federal graduation rate stands at 29%. Team revenue averages $450,378 per participant, against $450,378 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,114.
University of South Dakota ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. This public school is set in Vermillion, SD. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 952, alongside a GSR of 80%. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $120,366, compared with $120,366 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,323 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
