by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 9 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual evaluates each program using 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 Cedarville University, our #1 college for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Cedarville, OH, Cedarville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $56,050 per participant, with expenses of about $56,050 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,791.
Ashland University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Ashland, OH, Ashland University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $36,675 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $36,675 per participant. The school awards about $5,808 in athletic aid per athlete.
Walsh University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located 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.
Malone University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #4. Located in Canton, OH, Malone University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $26,570 per participant, with expenses of about $26,570 per participant. The school awards about $7,372 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio Dominican University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #5. Ohio Dominican University is a private not-for-profit school based in Columbus, OH. The program generates about $33,176 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $23,270 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,323.
Shawnee State University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Portsmouth, OH, Shawnee State University is a public institution. The program generates about $26,190 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $25,452 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,174 per athlete.
Lake Erie College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Lake Erie College is a private not-for-profit school based in Painesville, OH. The program generates about $20,102 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $20,102 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,781.
Tiffin University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Tiffin University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tiffin, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,521, against $11,521 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,785.
Central State University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Wilberforce, OH, Central State University is a public institution. The program generates about $23,421 in revenue per athlete, against $23,421 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,799 per athlete.
*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.