by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 8 schools 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Michigan Technological University, our #1 college for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Houghton, MI, Michigan Technological University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $54,335, with expenses of about $54,651 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,159.
Grand Valley State University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Allendale, MI. Team revenue averages $59,436 per participant, compared with $58,524 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,088 per athlete.
Northern Michigan University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Marquette, MI, Northern Michigan University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $78,078 per participant, with expenses of about $72,065 per participant. The school awards about $9,323 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Superior State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking 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, with expenses of about $50,965 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,276.
Northwood University earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Midland, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,117, compared with $37,117 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,948 per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in University Center, MI, Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,068, compared with $42,068 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,118 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davenport University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Davenport University is a private not-for-profit school based in Grand Rapids, MI. The program generates about $39,164 in revenue per athlete, against $39,164 in expenses. The school awards about $6,850 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ferris State University landed the #8 spot this year. Ferris State University is a public school based in Big Rapids, MI. Team revenue averages $41,370 per participant, against $41,370 in expenses. The school awards about $5,572 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.