by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 10 schools for Men’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
Adelphi University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Garden City, NY, Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $61,067 per participant, with expenses of about $61,067 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,963.
Le Moyne College is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Syracuse, NY. Le Moyne College records an NCAA APR of 925, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $112,391 per participant, against $89,282 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,944.
St. Thomas Aquinas College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Sparkill, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $47,650, compared with $47,650 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,813 per athlete.
Molloy University landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). 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. The school awards about $5,589 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pace University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in New York, NY, Pace University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $57,072 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $55,592 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,466.
Daemen University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Amherst, NY, Daemen University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $41,561 per participant, against $40,405 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,726 per athlete.
D'Youville University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Buffalo, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,844, compared with $30,666 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,393.
Roberts Wesleyan University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Rochester, NY, Roberts Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $12,717 per participant, with expenses of about $12,341 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,925 per athlete.
Dominican University New York placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Orangeburg, NY, Dominican University New York is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,162 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $20,162 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,678 per athlete.
Mercy University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Dobbs Ferry, NY, Mercy University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,497, against $16,497 in expenses. The school awards about $6,094 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.