by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 46 colleges for Men’s Basketball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
No school ranked higher than Carnegie Mellon University this year for Men's Basketball (Division III). Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Pittsburgh, PA. The program generates about $17,452 in revenue per athlete, against $17,627 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Swarthmore College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Swarthmore, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,051, compared with $15,351 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,076 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,050 spent per athlete. The school awards about $53 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gettysburg College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Gettysburg, PA, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $18,527 per participant, with expenses of about $18,527 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Scranton ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Scranton, PA, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,288 in revenue per athlete, compared with $20,288 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dickinson College landed the #6 spot this year. Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Carlisle, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,015, against $13,064 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ursinus College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Collegeville, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,541, against $23,541 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Haverford College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Haverford, PA, Haverford College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,980, compared with $8,450 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Messiah University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Mechanicsburg, PA, Messiah University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,807 per participant, with expenses of about $11,140 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Susquehanna University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Susquehanna University is a private not-for-profit school based in Selinsgrove, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,909, with expenses of about $14,909 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Moravian University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bethlehem, PA. The program generates about $12,045 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,802 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lebanon Valley College landed the #12 spot this year. Based in Annville, PA, Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,601 per participant, against $10,772 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Vincent College placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Latrobe, PA. The program generates about $12,809 in revenue per athlete, against $12,809 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Muhlenberg College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Muhlenberg College is a private not-for-profit school based in Allentown, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,471, against $7,471 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Elizabethtown College placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Elizabethtown, PA, Elizabethtown College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,290, against $6,290 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Huntingdon, PA. The program generates about $12,791 in revenue per athlete, against $12,192 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Marywood University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Marywood University is a private not-for-profit school based in Scranton, PA. The program generates about $10,649 in revenue per athlete, against $8,243 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Allegheny College landed the #18 spot this year. Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit school based in Meadville, PA. The program generates about $12,415 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,415 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wilkes University landed the #19 spot this year. Based in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,350, with expenses of about $15,350 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lancaster Bible College ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. Team revenue averages $8,361 per participant, with expenses of about $6,527 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
DeSales University placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Center Valley, PA. Team revenue averages $9,712 per participant, compared with $7,969 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Widener University placed #22 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Widener University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chester, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,168, compared with $10,196 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Arcadia University placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Glenside, PA. The program generates about $10,327 in revenue per athlete, against $10,327 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lycoming College placed #24 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Williamsport, PA, Lycoming College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,395 per participant, with expenses of about $11,433 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Chatham University landed the #25 spot this year. Chatham University is a private not-for-profit school based in Pittsburgh, PA. Team revenue averages $7,397 per participant, against $7,397 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.