by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 20 schools for Men’s Basketball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Case Western Reserve University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Cleveland, OH, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,593, with expenses of about $13,593 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Denison University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Granville, OH. Team revenue averages $15,798 per participant, compared with $15,798 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oberlin College earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Oberlin, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,785, with expenses of about $14,785 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ohio Northern University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ada, OH. The program generates about $15,007 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,007 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kenyon College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,236, compared with $8,236 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
John Carroll University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in University Heights, OH, John Carroll University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $12,559 per participant, against $12,559 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Mount Union came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Alliance, OH. The program generates about $16,238 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,238 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franciscan University of Steubenville came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Steubenville, OH, Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,840 in revenue per athlete, against $4,823 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
The College of Wooster came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Wooster, OH, The College of Wooster is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,180, compared with $10,351 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Capital University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Columbus, OH, Capital University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $14,110 per participant, against $14,110 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Baldwin Wallace University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Baldwin Wallace University is a private not-for-profit school based in Berea, OH. Team revenue averages $12,314 per participant, compared with $12,314 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Otterbein University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Westerville, OH, Otterbein University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,074, with expenses of about $10,235 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mount St. Joseph University landed the #13 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cincinnati, OH. The program generates about $14,720 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,720 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Marietta College placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Marietta College is a private not-for-profit school based in Marietta, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,589, with expenses of about $11,783 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wittenberg University placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, OH. Team revenue averages $13,729 per participant, against $13,729 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ohio Wesleyan University landed the #16 spot this year. Based in Delaware, OH, Ohio Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,298 per participant, with expenses of about $9,298 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Muskingum University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Muskingum University is a private not-for-profit school based in New Concord, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,182, compared with $12,182 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hiram College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Hiram, OH, Hiram College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,118, against $5,118 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Heidelberg University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Heidelberg University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tiffin, OH. The program generates about $10,440 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,440 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bluffton University landed the #20 spot this year. Bluffton University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bluffton, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,324, against $4,215 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 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.