by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 6 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is University of Missouri-Columbia, our #1 college for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Columbia, MO. University of Missouri-Columbia records an NCAA APR of 994, alongside a GSR of 73%. About 29% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,047,659, compared with $797,444 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,637.
Missouri State University-Springfield landed the #2 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). 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%. Team revenue averages $220,704 per participant, with expenses of about $220,704 per participant. Athletic aid averages $12,364 per athlete.
Saint Louis University landed the #3 spot for Men's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Louis, MO. The team's NCAA APR score is 940, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. The federal graduation rate stands at 29%. Team revenue averages $451,912 per participant, compared with $451,912 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,446 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lindenwood University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division I), at #4. Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Charles, MO. Lindenwood University records an NCAA APR of 949, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $77,623, with expenses of about $77,623 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,722 per athlete.
University of Missouri-Kansas City ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Kansas City, MO. The team's NCAA APR score is 944, alongside a GSR of 80%. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $161,923, against $161,923 in expenses. The school awards about $13,225 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southeast Missouri State University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Southeast Missouri State University is a public school based in Cape Girardeau, MO. Southeast Missouri State University records an NCAA APR of 985, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 0% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $115,329, against $115,329 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,582 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.