by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 30 schools for Men’s Basketball (Division II) 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Point Loma Nazarene University this year for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in San Diego, CA, Point Loma Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $69,620 per participant, against $69,620 in expenses. The school awards about $14,927 in athletic aid per athlete.
Biola University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in La Mirada, CA. The program generates about $60,999 in revenue per athlete, against $55,297 in expenses. The school awards about $12,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Westmont College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Santa Barbara, CA, Westmont College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $49,027 in revenue per athlete, against $49,938 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,511.
Dominican University of California earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in San Rafael, CA. Team revenue averages $41,348 per participant, compared with $41,348 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,270 per athlete.
Concordia University-Irvine earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Irvine, CA, Concordia University-Irvine is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,059, against $50,059 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,027 per athlete.
Western Washington University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This public school is set in Bellingham, WA. The program generates about $54,852 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $54,852 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,961.
Saint Martin's University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Lacey, WA, Saint Martin's University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $69,581 per participant, with expenses of about $69,581 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,343.
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Pomona, CA, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona is a public institution. Team revenue averages $48,763 per participant, with expenses of about $46,219 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,180 per athlete.
Azusa Pacific University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Azusa, CA, Azusa Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $40,890 in revenue per athlete, against $40,890 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,069.
Seattle Pacific University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Seattle, WA. The program generates about $46,764 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $46,764 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,836.
California State University-San Bernardino placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in San Bernardino, CA, California State University-San Bernardino is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $133,020, against $87,668 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,698.
Fresno Pacific University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fresno, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,642, with expenses of about $40,230 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,517 per athlete.
California State University-Chico did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Chico, CA, California State University-Chico is a public institution. Team revenue averages $46,459 per participant, with expenses of about $45,138 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,367.
Sonoma State University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Rohnert Park, CA, Sonoma State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $45,548 per participant, with expenses of about $45,548 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,732.
California State University-Monterey Bay did well this year, earning the #15 position. California State University-Monterey Bay is a public school based in Seaside, CA. Team revenue averages $37,661 per participant, against $37,568 in expenses. The school awards about $2,951 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Merced came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Merced, CA. Team revenue averages $15,935 per participant, compared with $15,586 spent per athlete. The school awards about $1,179 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-East Bay landed the #17 spot this year. Located in Hayward, CA, California State University-East Bay is a public institution. Team revenue averages $55,608 per participant, against $55,608 in expenses. The school awards about $5,078 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Los Angeles landed the #18 spot this year. California State University-Los Angeles is a public school based in Los Angeles, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,282, against $49,282 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,687.
Central Washington University placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Ellensburg, WA, Central Washington University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $47,760 per participant, with expenses of about $45,405 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,377 per athlete.
Menlo College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Located in Atherton, CA, Menlo College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $36,953 per participant, compared with $36,953 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,086 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Stanislaus came in at #21 in this year's ranking. California State University-Stanislaus is a public school based in Turlock, CA. Team revenue averages $39,201 per participant, with expenses of about $39,201 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,043.
University of Hawaii at Hilo landed the #22 spot this year. Located in Hilo, HI, University of Hawaii at Hilo is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,246, against $55,246 in expenses. The school awards about $6,498 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Alaska Anchorage landed the #23 spot this year. Located in Anchorage, AK, University of Alaska Anchorage is a public institution. Team revenue averages $53,317 per participant, compared with $53,317 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,371 per athlete.
University of Alaska Fairbanks landed the #24 spot this year. Located in Fairbanks, AK, University of Alaska Fairbanks is a public institution. Team revenue averages $47,595 per participant, with expenses of about $43,137 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,144.
California State University-Dominguez Hills came in at #25 in this year's ranking. California State University-Dominguez Hills is a public school based in Carson, CA. Team revenue averages $44,999 per participant, compared with $44,999 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,780 per athlete.
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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
