by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 11 programs for Men’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Colorado School of Mines, our #1 college for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Golden, CO, Colorado School of Mines is a public institution. Team revenue averages $64,465 per participant, against $64,465 in expenses. The school awards about $7,984 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwest Nazarene University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Northwest Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nampa, ID. Team revenue averages $47,218 per participant, compared with $47,218 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,381.
University of Colorado Colorado Springs landed the #3 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Colorado Springs, CO. The program generates about $48,473 in revenue per athlete, compared with $46,716 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,988 per athlete.
Colorado Christian University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lakewood, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,879, compared with $34,879 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,910.
Metropolitan State University of Denver earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Denver, CO, Metropolitan State University of Denver is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,429, compared with $73,396 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,924 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colorado Mesa University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Colorado Mesa University is a public school based in Grand Junction, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $63,083, against $64,181 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,175 per athlete.
Western Colorado University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Gunnison, CO, Western Colorado University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $38,060, against $38,060 in expenses. The school awards about $3,480 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fort Lewis College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Fort Lewis College is a public school based in Durango, CO. Team revenue averages $43,590 per participant, against $43,590 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,356.
Colorado State University Pueblo placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Pueblo, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,924, with expenses of about $34,924 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,320.
Montana State University Billings ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Billings, MT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,685, against $49,592 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,887 per athlete.
Adams State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Alamosa, CO, Adams State University is a public institution. The program generates about $34,370 in revenue per athlete, against $34,370 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,419 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.