by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 5 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual weighs 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:
Leading the list is Harding University, our #1 college for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Searcy, AR, Harding University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $46,765 in revenue per athlete, against $46,506 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,216 per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Arkadelphia, AR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,042, with expenses of about $41,010 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,935 per athlete.
Arkansas Tech University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #3. Located in Russellville, AR, Arkansas Tech University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $23,384 per participant, against $23,384 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,208.
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith earned the #4 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Fort Smith, AR. Team revenue averages $35,360 per participant, compared with $34,925 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,102.
Henderson State University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Arkadelphia, AR, Henderson State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $28,897 per participant, compared with $28,897 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,143 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.