by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 25 programs 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Michigan Technological University to be the best college for Men's Basketball (Division II) in the Great Lakes Region. Based in Houghton, MI, Michigan Technological University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $54,335 per participant, with expenses of about $54,651 per participant. The school awards about $13,159 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lewis University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Romeoville, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,584, compared with $40,584 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,669 per athlete.
Cedarville University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #3. Cedarville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedarville, OH. Team revenue averages $56,050 per participant, compared with $56,050 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,791 per athlete.
Grand Valley State University landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Allendale, MI. Team revenue averages $59,436 per participant, against $58,524 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,088.
University of Indianapolis landed the #5 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Indianapolis, IN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $63,939, compared with $63,939 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,002 per athlete.
Northern Michigan University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Northern Michigan University is a public school based in Marquette, MI. Team revenue averages $78,078 per participant, against $72,065 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
Northwood University did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Midland, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,117, against $37,117 in expenses. The school awards about $7,948 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Superior State University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Sault Ste Marie, MI, Lake Superior State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $50,965 per participant, compared with $50,965 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,276 per athlete.
McKendree University landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Lebanon, IL, McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $39,193 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $39,193 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,695.
Ashland University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Ashland, OH, Ashland University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,675, against $36,675 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,808.
University of Illinois Springfield came in at #11 in this year's ranking. University of Illinois Springfield is a public school based in Springfield, IL. The program generates about $36,656 in revenue per athlete, against $36,656 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,768 per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in University Center, MI, Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $42,068 per participant, with expenses of about $42,068 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,118 per athlete.
Walsh University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in North Canton, OH, Walsh University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $26,951 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,577 per participant. The school awards about $5,087 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ferris State University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Ferris State University is a public school based in Big Rapids, MI. The program generates about $41,370 in revenue per athlete, compared with $41,370 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,572.
Davenport University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,164, compared with $39,164 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,850.
Roosevelt University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Chicago, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,789, compared with $42,789 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,633 in athletic aid per athlete.
Malone University landed the #17 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Canton, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,570, against $26,570 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,372 per athlete.
Quincy University landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Quincy, IL, Quincy University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $30,086 per participant, compared with $29,934 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,507 per athlete.
Ohio Dominican University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Based in Columbus, OH, Ohio Dominican University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $33,176 in revenue per athlete, compared with $23,270 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $4,323 per athlete.
Purdue University Northwest did well this year, earning the #20 position. This public school is set in Hammond, IN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,706, against $31,706 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,013 per athlete.
Shawnee State University landed the #21 spot this year. Based in Portsmouth, OH, Shawnee State University is a public institution. The program generates about $26,190 in revenue per athlete, against $25,452 in expenses. The school awards about $3,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tiffin University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Tiffin, OH, Tiffin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,521 per participant, against $11,521 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,785 per athlete.
Lake Erie College landed the #23 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Painesville, OH. The program generates about $20,102 in revenue per athlete, against $20,102 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,781 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Parkside did well this year, earning the #24 position. Located in Kenosha, WI, University of Wisconsin-Parkside is a public institution. Team revenue averages $29,225 per participant, compared with $29,225 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,060.
Central State University did well this year, earning the #25 position. Based in Wilberforce, OH, Central State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $23,421 per participant, with expenses of about $23,421 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,799.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.