by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 22 schools 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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Dallas Baptist University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Dallas, TX. The program generates about $75,550 in revenue per athlete, against $74,583 in expenses. The school awards about $9,215 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oklahoma Baptist University earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Shawnee, OK. Team revenue averages $55,560 per participant, compared with $51,079 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,273 per athlete.
Lubbock Christian University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Lubbock, TX, Lubbock Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $54,899 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $54,899 per participant. The school awards about $8,404 in athletic aid per athlete.
Texas A & M International University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Laredo, TX, Texas A & M International University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,150, against $44,150 in expenses. The school awards about $8,327 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oklahoma Christian University landed the #5 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Edmond, OK, Oklahoma Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,114, compared with $33,415 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,286 per athlete.
West Texas A & M University landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Canyon, TX. The program generates about $56,588 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $56,588 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,800 per athlete.
The University of Texas at Tyler ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Tyler, TX, The University of Texas at Tyler is a public institution. The program generates about $42,373 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $42,373 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,209.
The University of Texas Permian Basin came in at #8 in this year's ranking. The University of Texas Permian Basin is a public school based in Odessa, TX. Team revenue averages $47,079 per participant, compared with $48,674 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,982 per athlete.
Southern Nazarene University landed the #9 spot this year. Southern Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bethany, OK. Team revenue averages $28,266 per participant, compared with $26,370 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,122 in athletic aid per athlete.
Angelo State University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in San Angelo, TX, Angelo State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,690, with expenses of about $44,360 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,881.
Western New Mexico University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Silver City, NM, Western New Mexico University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $34,158 per participant, against $34,068 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,177.
University of Central Oklahoma ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Edmond, OK, University of Central Oklahoma is a public institution. Team revenue averages $40,983 per participant, with expenses of about $40,266 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,477.
Midwestern State University landed the #13 spot this year. Midwestern State University is a public school based in Wichita Falls, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,615, compared with $37,615 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,772 per athlete.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville landed the #14 spot this year. This public school is set in Kingsville, TX. The program generates about $32,725 in revenue per athlete, compared with $41,319 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $4,790 per athlete.
Northeastern State University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Tahlequah, OK. The program generates about $31,726 in revenue per athlete, against $31,726 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,449 per athlete.
Rogers State University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Located in Claremore, OK, Rogers State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,415, against $46,415 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,881.
New Mexico Highlands University landed the #17 spot this year. Based in Las Vegas, NM, New Mexico Highlands University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $29,991 per participant, compared with $29,991 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,882 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public school based in Durant, OK. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,068, with expenses of about $31,068 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,833.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Alva, OK, Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a public institution. The program generates about $27,662 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,214 per participant. The school awards about $2,134 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Based in Weatherford, OK, Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $25,533 per participant, with expenses of about $25,533 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,204.
Cameron University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Cameron University is a public school based in Lawton, OK. Team revenue averages $28,330 per participant, against $28,226 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,117.
East Central University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Ada, OK, East Central University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,665, with expenses of about $28,665 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,432 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.
