by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 31 programs 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.
Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than Mercyhurst University this year for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Erie, PA, Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 971, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $78,688, against $78,688 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,194 per athlete.
Gannon University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Erie, PA, Gannon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $74,127 per participant, compared with $69,918 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,313 per athlete.
Thomas Jefferson University landed the #3 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Philadelphia, PA, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $48,319 per participant, against $48,319 in expenses. The school awards about $13,341 in athletic aid per athlete.
Adelphi University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Garden City, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $61,067, with expenses of about $61,067 per participant. The school awards about $7,963 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pace University landed the #5 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). Pace University is a private not-for-profit school based in New York, NY. Team revenue averages $57,072 per participant, with expenses of about $55,592 per participant. The school awards about $7,466 in athletic aid per athlete.
St. Thomas Aquinas College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). St. Thomas Aquinas College is a private not-for-profit school based in Sparkill, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $47,650, compared with $47,650 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,813.
Molloy University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Rockville Centre, NY, Molloy University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $21,554 in revenue per athlete, against $20,698 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,589 per athlete.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in West Chester, PA, West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,729, compared with $38,793 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $2,168 per athlete.
Seton Hill University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Greensburg, PA, Seton Hill University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $27,357 per participant, compared with $27,357 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,657 in athletic aid per athlete.
Daemen University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Amherst, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,561, compared with $40,405 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,726 per athlete.
D'Youville University landed the #11 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Buffalo, NY. The program generates about $30,844 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $30,666 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,393.
Holy Family University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Philadelphia, PA. The program generates about $28,097 in revenue per athlete, against $28,084 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,523 per athlete.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Slippery Rock, PA, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,647, against $26,266 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,028 per athlete.
Le Moyne College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Syracuse, NY, Le Moyne College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 925, with a Graduation Success Rate of 79%. The federal graduation rate stands at 33%. The program generates about $112,391 in revenue per athlete, compared with $89,282 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,944 per athlete.
Caldwell University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Caldwell, NJ, Caldwell University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $25,921 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,877 per participant. The school awards about $6,698 in athletic aid per athlete.
Point Park University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, Point Park University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,506, against $14,209 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,401.
Roberts Wesleyan University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Roberts Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $12,717 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,341 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,925.
University of the District of Columbia did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in Washington, DC, University of the District of Columbia is a public institution. The program generates about $47,773 in revenue per athlete, compared with $47,773 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,638.
Millersville University of Pennsylvania did well this year, earning the #19 position. Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public school based in Millersville, PA. The program generates about $44,358 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $44,358 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,830.
Goldey-Beacom College did well this year, earning the #20 position. Based in Wilmington, DE, Goldey-Beacom College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,152, against $16,830 in expenses. The school awards about $5,149 in athletic aid per athlete.
Georgian Court University landed the #21 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lakewood, NJ. Team revenue averages $26,136 per participant, with expenses of about $25,184 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,874 per athlete.
Felician University placed #22 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Felician University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lodi, NJ. Team revenue averages $36,064 per participant, compared with $36,064 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,189 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dominican University New York placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Orangeburg, NY. Team revenue averages $20,162 per participant, against $20,162 in expenses. The school awards about $4,678 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Johnstown, PA, University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown is a public institution. Team revenue averages $34,045 per participant, against $34,045 in expenses. The school awards about $5,196 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a public school based in Kutztown, PA. Team revenue averages $39,514 per participant, against $32,719 in expenses. The school awards about $1,904 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.