by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 91 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:
Our analysis found Nova Southeastern University to be the best college for Men's Basketball (Division II) in the Southeast Region. Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Team revenue averages $85,627 per participant, with expenses of about $85,627 per participant. The school awards about $13,636 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rollins College is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #2. Rollins College is a private not-for-profit school based in Winter Park, FL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $61,564, against $61,564 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,632.
Union University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #3. Located in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $52,277, against $49,915 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,895.
Harding University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Searcy, AR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,765, with expenses of about $46,506 per participant. The school awards about $9,216 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eckerd College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Petersburg, FL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $61,235, compared with $61,235 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,706 per athlete.
Florida Institute of Technology placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Melbourne, FL. The program generates about $63,303 in revenue per athlete, against $63,303 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,103.
Florida Southern College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Florida Southern College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lakeland, FL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $81,188, compared with $81,188 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,785.
Lincoln Memorial University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Harrogate, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $81,885, with expenses of about $81,842 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,449 per athlete.
Lynn University landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boca Raton, FL. The program generates about $47,772 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $47,772 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,987.
Flagler College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Flagler College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Augustine, FL. The program generates about $54,035 in revenue per athlete, compared with $54,035 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,076 per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University did well this year, earning the #11 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Arkadelphia, AR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,042, compared with $41,010 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,935 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of West Florida landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Pensacola, FL, University of West Florida is a public institution. The program generates about $43,589 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $44,283 per participant. The school awards about $7,536 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lee University did well this year, earning the #13 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cleveland, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,514, compared with $42,514 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,272.
Palm Beach Atlantic University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private not-for-profit school based in West Palm Beach, FL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,690, with expenses of about $37,357 per participant. The school awards about $10,383 in athletic aid per athlete.
Spring Hill College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Mobile, AL, Spring Hill College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,995, with expenses of about $42,845 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,824.
University of Alabama in Huntsville did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Huntsville, AL, University of Alabama in Huntsville is a public institution. Team revenue averages $40,020 per participant, against $40,020 in expenses. The school awards about $5,175 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kentucky Wesleyan College came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit school based in Owensboro, KY. Team revenue averages $51,973 per participant, compared with $53,417 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,522.
North Greenville University did well this year, earning the #18 position. North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tigerville, SC. The program generates about $24,647 in revenue per athlete, compared with $24,691 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,158 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carson-Newman University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $56,863 in revenue per athlete, against $53,659 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,904 per athlete.
Lenoir-Rhyne University landed the #20 spot this year. Based in Hickory, NC, Lenoir-Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $40,343 per participant, compared with $40,343 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,094 in athletic aid per athlete.
Clark Atlanta University placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Atlanta, GA, Clark Atlanta University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $53,468 per participant, against $51,082 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,630.
University of West Georgia did well this year, earning the #22 position. Based in Carrollton, GA, University of West Georgia is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 958, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 38%. Team revenue averages $79,904 per participant, compared with $79,904 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,051.
West Liberty University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Located in West Liberty, WV, West Liberty University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $41,401 per participant, compared with $41,401 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $4,841 per athlete.
Catawba College did well this year, earning the #24 position. Based in Salisbury, NC, Catawba College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,444 in revenue per athlete, against $23,618 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,164 per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University did well this year, earning the #25 position. Based in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $22,973 per participant, against $22,973 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,766.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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.