by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 257 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division II) 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.
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Point Loma Nazarene University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in San Diego, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $69,620, compared with $69,620 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,927 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colorado School of Mines landed the #2 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). Colorado School of Mines is a public school based in Golden, CO. Team revenue averages $64,465 per participant, against $64,465 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,984 per athlete.
Bentley University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Waltham, MA, Bentley University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $90,258 in revenue per athlete, against $87,006 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,029.
Mercyhurst University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #4. Based in Erie, PA, Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Team revenue averages $78,688 per participant, against $78,688 in expenses. The school awards about $14,194 in athletic aid per athlete.
Michigan Technological University earned the #5 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Houghton, MI. Team revenue averages $54,335 per participant, against $54,651 in expenses. The school awards about $13,159 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gannon University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Gannon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Erie, PA. Team revenue averages $74,127 per participant, against $69,918 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,313 per athlete.
Nova Southeastern University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $85,627 in revenue per athlete, compared with $85,627 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,636.
Rollins College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Winter Park, FL, Rollins College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $61,564, compared with $61,564 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,632.
Biola University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in La Mirada, CA, Biola University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,999, against $55,297 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,338 per athlete.
Thomas Jefferson University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Philadelphia, PA, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $48,319 per participant, with expenses of about $48,319 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,341 per athlete.
Adelphi University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit school based in Garden City, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $61,067, with expenses of about $61,067 per participant. The school awards about $7,963 in athletic aid per athlete.
Union University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $52,277 per participant, with expenses of about $49,915 per participant. The school awards about $17,895 in athletic aid per athlete.
Harding University landed the #13 spot this year. Located in Searcy, AR, Harding University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,765, with expenses of about $46,506 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,216 per athlete.
Eckerd College landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Saint Petersburg, FL, Eckerd College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $61,235, with expenses of about $61,235 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,706 per athlete.
Florida Southern College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Florida Southern College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lakeland, FL. The program generates about $81,188 in revenue per athlete, against $81,188 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,785.
Florida Institute of Technology ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Melbourne, FL, Florida Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $63,303 per participant, compared with $63,303 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,103 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rockhurst University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $45,476 in revenue per athlete, compared with $45,476 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,130 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dallas Baptist University did well this year, earning the #18 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dallas, TX. The program generates about $75,550 in revenue per athlete, compared with $74,583 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,215.
Saint Michael's College placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Colchester, VT, Saint Michael's College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $58,081 per participant, with expenses of about $58,081 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,634 per athlete.
Cedarville University did well this year, earning the #20 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cedarville, OH. The program generates about $56,050 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $56,050 per participant. The school awards about $5,791 in athletic aid per athlete.
Maryville University of Saint Louis did well this year, earning the #21 position. Based in Saint Louis, MO, Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $51,563, with expenses of about $49,444 per participant. The school awards about $6,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Seattle Pacific University landed the #22 spot this year. Located in Seattle, WA, Seattle Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $46,764 per participant, compared with $46,764 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,836.
Westmont College landed the #23 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Barbara, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,027, compared with $49,938 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,511.
Pace University landed the #24 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY. Team revenue averages $57,072 per participant, with expenses of about $55,592 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,466.
Dominican University of California did well this year, earning the #25 position. Based in San Rafael, CA, Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $41,348 per participant, against $41,348 in expenses. The school awards about $7,270 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
These schools also stood out this year:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Lynn University | Boca Raton, FL |
| 52 | Assumption University | Worcester, MA |
*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.
