by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 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.
Not quite what you need? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Union University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $52,277 in revenue per athlete, compared with $49,915 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,895 per athlete.
Lee University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Cleveland, TN, Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,514, against $42,514 in expenses. The school awards about $8,272 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lincoln Memorial University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Harrogate, TN. The program generates about $81,885 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $81,842 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,449.
Carson-Newman University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $56,863, against $53,659 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,904.
Christian Brothers University landed the #5 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Memphis, TN, Christian Brothers University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,045, against $33,038 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,833 per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $22,973 in revenue per athlete, compared with $22,973 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,766.
King University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). King University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, TN. Team revenue averages $22,101 per participant, compared with $19,304 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,932.
Tusculum University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Greeneville, TN, Tusculum University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,218, compared with $21,799 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,457.
Lane College landed the #9 spot this year. Lane College is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, TN. Team revenue averages $19,634 per participant, with expenses of about $19,146 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,306 per athlete.
*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.