by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 16 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Not quite what you need? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Lenoir-Rhyne University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). Lenoir-Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hickory, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,343, against $40,343 in expenses. The school awards about $7,094 in athletic aid per athlete.
Catawba College earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salisbury, NC. The program generates about $20,444 in revenue per athlete, compared with $23,618 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,164 per athlete.
Winston-Salem State University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Winston-Salem, NC, Winston-Salem State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,624, against $42,624 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,441.
Barton College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Wilson, NC, Barton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,219 per participant, with expenses of about $15,219 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,654.
Wingate University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Wingate, NC. Team revenue averages $23,977 per participant, against $23,365 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,748 per athlete.
University of Mount Olive landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mount Olive, NC. The program generates about $13,240 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,871 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,775 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elizabeth City State University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Elizabeth City, NC. The program generates about $26,698 in revenue per athlete, compared with $26,698 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,147 per athlete.
Fayetteville State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Fayetteville State University is a public school based in Fayetteville, NC. Team revenue averages $42,247 per participant, against $42,247 in expenses. The school awards about $5,674 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Pembroke, NC, University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a public institution. Team revenue averages $27,631 per participant, with expenses of about $22,927 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,165.
Lees-McRae College placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Banner Elk, NC, Lees-McRae College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,433, compared with $19,433 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,547.
Johnson C Smith University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Johnson C Smith University is a private not-for-profit school based in Charlotte, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $38,355, against $38,355 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,550 per athlete.
Mars Hill University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mars Hill, NC. Team revenue averages $25,251 per participant, compared with $25,251 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,311.
Shaw University did well this year, earning the #13 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Raleigh, NC. Team revenue averages $31,406 per participant, compared with $31,406 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,825 per athlete.
Belmont Abbey College placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Belmont Abbey College is a private not-for-profit school based in Belmont, NC. The program generates about $9,226 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,226 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,908 in athletic aid per athlete.
Livingstone College came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Livingstone College is a private not-for-profit school based in Salisbury, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,698, with expenses of about $25,046 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,211.
Chowan University did well this year, earning the #16 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Murfreesboro, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,934, compared with $13,934 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,571.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.