by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 14 schools for Men’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Gannon University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Erie, PA. The program generates about $74,127 in revenue per athlete, compared with $69,918 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,313 in athletic aid per athlete.
Thomas Jefferson University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Philadelphia, PA, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $48,319 in revenue per athlete, against $48,319 in expenses. The school awards about $13,341 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mercyhurst University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Erie, PA, Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $78,688 per participant, compared with $78,688 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,194 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #4. This public school is set in West Chester, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,729, against $38,793 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,168.
Seton Hill University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #5. Seton Hill University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greensburg, PA. The program generates about $27,357 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $27,357 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,657.
Holy Family University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Philadelphia, PA, Holy Family University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,097, compared with $28,084 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,523.
Millersville University of Pennsylvania placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Millersville, PA. Team revenue averages $44,358 per participant, with expenses of about $44,358 per participant. Athletic aid averages $2,830 per athlete.
Point Park University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Point Park University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,506, compared with $14,209 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,401 in athletic aid per athlete.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public school based in Slippery Rock, PA. Team revenue averages $26,647 per participant, compared with $26,266 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,028.
Chestnut Hill College landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Philadelphia, PA, Chestnut Hill College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $17,228 per participant, compared with $16,801 spent per athlete. The school awards about $4,192 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Johnstown, PA, University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown is a public institution. The program generates about $34,045 in revenue per athlete, compared with $34,045 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,196 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in East Stroudsburg, PA, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,570, with expenses of about $43,899 per participant. Athletic aid averages $2,313 per athlete.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Kutztown, PA, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,514, against $32,719 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $1,904.
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Shippensburg, PA, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. The program generates about $40,294 in revenue per athlete, against $37,792 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,132 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.