by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 11 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual evaluates each program using 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:
Oklahoma 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 Shawnee, OK. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,560, against $51,079 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,273.
Oklahoma Christian University landed the #2 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). Located in Edmond, OK, Oklahoma Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $36,114 in revenue per athlete, compared with $33,415 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,286.
University of Central Oklahoma ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Edmond, OK, University of Central Oklahoma is a public institution. The program generates about $40,983 in revenue per athlete, against $40,266 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,477.
Northeastern State University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division II), at #4. This public school is set in Tahlequah, OK. The program generates about $31,726 in revenue per athlete, compared with $31,726 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,449.
Southern Nazarene University landed the #5 spot for Men's Basketball (Division II). 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. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,122.
Rogers State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Based in Claremore, OK, Rogers State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,415, with expenses of about $46,415 per participant. The school awards about $4,881 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division II). Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public school based in Durant, OK. The program generates about $31,068 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $31,068 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,833.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Alva, OK, Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,662, against $16,214 in expenses. The school awards about $2,134 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a public school based in Weatherford, OK. The program generates about $25,533 in revenue per athlete, against $25,533 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,204 per athlete.
East Central University landed the #10 spot this year. East Central University is a public school based in Ada, OK. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,665, against $28,665 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,432 per athlete.
Cameron University landed the #11 spot this year. This public school is set in Lawton, OK. Team revenue averages $28,330 per participant, with expenses of about $28,226 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,117.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
