by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 9 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Colorado School of Mines, our #1 college for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Golden, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $64,465, with expenses of about $64,465 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,984 per athlete.
University of Colorado Colorado Springs ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Colorado Springs, CO. Team revenue averages $48,473 per participant, against $46,716 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,988 per athlete.
Colorado Christian University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Lakewood, CO, Colorado Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,879, against $34,879 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,910.
Metropolitan State University of Denver is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #4. Located in Denver, CO, Metropolitan State University of Denver is a public institution. The program generates about $73,429 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $73,396 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,924 per athlete.
Western Colorado University landed the #5 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). Western Colorado University is a public school based in Gunnison, CO. The program generates about $38,060 in revenue per athlete, against $38,060 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,480.
Colorado Mesa University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Grand Junction, CO, Colorado Mesa University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $63,083, against $64,181 in expenses. The school awards about $4,175 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fort Lewis College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Durango, CO, Fort Lewis College is a public institution. The program generates about $43,590 in revenue per athlete, against $43,590 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,356.
Colorado State University Pueblo ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Pueblo, CO, Colorado State University Pueblo is a public institution. Team revenue averages $34,924 per participant, against $34,924 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,320 per athlete.
Adams State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Adams State University is a public school based in Alamosa, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,370, with expenses of about $34,370 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,419.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.