by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 21 programs for Men’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Leading the list is Point Loma Nazarene University, our #1 college for Men's Basketball (Division II). Point Loma Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in San Diego, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $69,620, with expenses of about $69,620 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,927 per athlete.
Biola University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Biola University is a private not-for-profit school based in La Mirada, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,999, compared with $55,297 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,338.
Westmont College landed the #3 spot 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, with expenses of about $49,938 per participant. The school awards about $6,511 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dominican University of California landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in San Rafael, CA. Team revenue averages $41,348 per participant, with expenses of about $41,348 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,270.
Concordia University-Irvine landed the #5 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Irvine, CA, Concordia University-Irvine is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,059, with expenses of about $50,059 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,027 per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Pomona, CA, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona is a public institution. Team revenue averages $48,763 per participant, against $46,219 in expenses. The school awards about $4,180 in athletic aid per athlete.
Azusa Pacific University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Azusa Pacific University is a private not-for-profit school based in Azusa, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,890, compared with $40,890 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,069 per athlete.
California State University-San Bernardino placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). California State University-San Bernardino is a public school based in San Bernardino, CA. The program generates about $133,020 in revenue per athlete, compared with $87,668 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,698 per athlete.
California State University-Chico came in at #9 in this year's ranking. California State University-Chico is a public school based in Chico, CA. Team revenue averages $46,459 per participant, with expenses of about $45,138 per participant. Athletic aid averages $2,367 per athlete.
Fresno Pacific University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Fresno, CA, Fresno Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,642, compared with $40,230 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,517 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sonoma State University ranked #11 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, compared with $45,548 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,732 per athlete.
California State University-Monterey Bay did well this year, earning the #12 position. This public school is set in Seaside, CA. Team revenue averages $37,661 per participant, compared with $37,568 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,951.
University of California-Merced placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Merced, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,935, with expenses of about $15,586 per participant. The school awards about $1,179 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Los Angeles landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Los Angeles, CA, California State University-Los Angeles is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,282, compared with $49,282 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,687 per athlete.
California State University-East Bay did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Hayward, CA, California State University-East Bay is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,608, compared with $55,608 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,078 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Stanislaus did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Turlock, CA, California State University-Stanislaus is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,201, against $39,201 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,043 per athlete.
Menlo College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Atherton, CA, Menlo College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,953, with expenses of about $36,953 per participant. The school awards about $13,086 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Dominguez Hills did well this year, earning the #18 position. California State University-Dominguez Hills is a public school based in Carson, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,999, compared with $44,999 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,780.
California State University-San Marcos did well this year, earning the #19 position. Based in San Marcos, CA, California State University-San Marcos is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,597, against $34,597 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,157 per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt landed the #20 spot this year. Based in Arcata, CA, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,606, with expenses of about $43,463 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,418.
San Francisco State University landed the #21 spot this year. Located in San Francisco, CA, San Francisco State University is a public institution. The program generates about $30,965 in revenue per athlete, compared with $30,965 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,480.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.
