by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 11 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 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:
Our analysis found Bentley University to be the best college for Men's Basketball (Division II) in the New England Region. Bentley University is a private not-for-profit school based in Waltham, MA. The program generates about $90,258 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $87,006 per participant. The school awards about $8,029 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Anselm College landed the #2 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). Saint Anselm College is a private not-for-profit school based in Manchester, NH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $85,261, with expenses of about $74,817 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,219 per athlete.
Saint Michael's College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Colchester, VT, Saint Michael's College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $58,081, compared with $58,081 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,634.
University of New Haven earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in West Haven, CT, University of New Haven is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $53,560 in revenue per athlete, against $53,179 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,566.
Assumption University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #5. Located in Worcester, MA, Assumption University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,310, against $40,497 in expenses. The school awards about $4,778 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Bridgeport landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Bridgeport, CT, University of Bridgeport is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,348, with expenses of about $24,275 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,070.
Southern Connecticut State University landed the #7 spot this year. Based in New Haven, CT, Southern Connecticut State University is a public institution. The program generates about $48,680 in revenue per athlete, against $48,680 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,062.
American International College landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Springfield, MA, American International College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $43,332 in revenue per athlete, against $43,332 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,241 per athlete.
Southern New Hampshire University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Southern New Hampshire University is a private not-for-profit school based in Manchester, NH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,282, with expenses of about $46,282 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,849.
Post University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Waterbury, CT, Post University is a private for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,317, with expenses of about $33,580 per participant. The school awards about $8,848 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franklin Pierce University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Rindge, NH, Franklin Pierce University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,396, against $14,396 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $292.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.