by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 13 programs for Men’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Leading the list is North Greenville University, our #1 college for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Tigerville, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,647, with expenses of about $24,691 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,158.
Lander University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Greenwood, SC, Lander University is a public institution. The program generates about $57,093 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $47,057 per participant. The school awards about $5,383 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina Aiken landed the #3 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). University of South Carolina Aiken is a public school based in Aiken, SC. The program generates about $50,069 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $50,186 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,318.
Claflin University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #4. Claflin University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orangeburg, SC. The program generates about $35,713 in revenue per athlete, compared with $35,713 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $4,337 per athlete.
Converse University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Converse University is a private not-for-profit school based in Spartanburg, SC. Team revenue averages $27,278 per participant, against $26,933 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,241.
Southern Wesleyan University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Central, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,599, against $13,599 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,609.
Newberry College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Newberry, SC, Newberry College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,973 in revenue per athlete, compared with $19,345 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,596 in athletic aid per athlete.
Francis Marion University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Florence, SC. The program generates about $15,845 in revenue per athlete, against $15,845 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,654 per athlete.
University of South Carolina Beaufort placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Bluffton, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,832, compared with $34,937 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,478.
Coker University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Coker University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hartsville, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,253, with expenses of about $27,442 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,938.
Erskine College ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Due West, SC, Erskine College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,613, with expenses of about $4,613 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,924 per athlete.
Benedict College landed the #12 spot this year. Benedict College is a private not-for-profit school based in Columbia, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,141, compared with $31,764 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,098 per athlete.
Allen University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Allen University is a private not-for-profit school based in Columbia, SC. Team revenue averages $14,854 per participant, compared with $14,854 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,826.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.