by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 69 schools for Men’s Basketball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is University of Chicago, our #1 college for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Chicago, IL, University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $34,632 per participant, compared with $34,632 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Bloomington, IL. The program generates about $15,802 in revenue per athlete, against $15,802 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Case Western Reserve University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cleveland, OH. Team revenue averages $13,593 per participant, against $13,593 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Terre Haute, IN, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,550, with expenses of about $15,029 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Denison University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Granville, OH, Denison University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,798 in revenue per athlete, against $15,798 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Calvin University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,501 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,501 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
DePauw University landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Greencastle, IN, DePauw University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,392 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,392 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oberlin College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Oberlin, OH, Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,785, with expenses of about $14,785 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in La Crosse, WI. The program generates about $18,788 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $25,289 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio Northern University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Ada, OH, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,007, against $15,007 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
John Carroll University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). John Carroll University is a private not-for-profit school based in University Heights, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,559, against $12,559 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Eau Claire, WI. The program generates about $16,701 in revenue per athlete, against $15,396 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kenyon College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Gambier, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,236, with expenses of about $8,236 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hope College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Holland, MI. Team revenue averages $8,397 per participant, against $8,261 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kalamazoo College placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Kalamazoo, MI, Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,329 per participant, compared with $8,329 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
The College of Wooster placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Wooster, OH, The College of Wooster is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,180 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,351 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central College did well this year, earning the #17 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Naperville, IL. The program generates about $12,480 in revenue per athlete, against $11,770 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lawrence University placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Appleton, WI, Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,435 per participant, with expenses of about $9,435 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #19 position. Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. The program generates about $8,684 in revenue per athlete, against $8,684 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Milwaukee School of Engineering landed the #20 spot this year. Milwaukee School of Engineering is a private not-for-profit school based in Milwaukee, WI. The program generates about $8,752 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,752 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater did well this year, earning the #21 position. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is a public school based in Whitewater, WI. Team revenue averages $15,688 per participant, against $15,458 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville did well this year, earning the #22 position. Located in Platteville, WI, University of Wisconsin-Platteville is a public institution. The program generates about $26,665 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $26,014 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Elmhurst University placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Elmhurst, IL. Team revenue averages $14,830 per participant, against $13,975 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Baldwin Wallace University did well this year, earning the #24 position. Located in Berea, OH, Baldwin Wallace University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,314 in revenue per athlete, against $12,314 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lake Forest College placed #25 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lake Forest, IL. The program generates about $10,203 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,203 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.