by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 18 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in La Crosse, WI, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public institution. The program generates about $18,788 in revenue per athlete, against $25,289 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division III), at #2. Located in Eau Claire, WI, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public institution. The program generates about $16,701 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,396 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lawrence University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Appleton, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,435, against $9,435 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Milwaukee School of Engineering landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Milwaukee, WI, Milwaukee School of Engineering is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,752, compared with $8,752 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This public school is set in Platteville, WI. Team revenue averages $26,665 per participant, compared with $26,014 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). This public school is set in Whitewater, WI. The program generates about $15,688 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,458 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Beloit College landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Beloit, WI, Beloit College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,880 per participant, with expenses of about $6,880 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wisconsin Lutheran College placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Milwaukee, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,576, against $10,723 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Maranatha Baptist University landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Watertown, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,253, with expenses of about $2,692 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Concordia University-Wisconsin ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Mequon, WI, Concordia University-Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,303 per participant, compared with $6,176 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This public school is set in Oshkosh, WI. The program generates about $17,853 in revenue per athlete, against $17,433 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point landed the #12 spot this year. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is a public school based in Stevens Point, WI. The program generates about $16,584 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,723 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-River Falls ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). This public school is set in River Falls, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,090, compared with $9,090 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Carthage College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Located in Kenosha, WI, Carthage College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,602 per participant, with expenses of about $6,028 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Stout came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Menomonie, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,953, with expenses of about $10,670 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lakeland University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Located in Plymouth, WI, Lakeland University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,939 per participant, compared with $9,457 spent per athlete. The school awards about $41 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ripon College placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Ripon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ripon, WI. The program generates about $5,070 in revenue per athlete, against $4,674 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Superior ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Superior, WI, University of Wisconsin-Superior is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,751, with expenses of about $10,751 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.