by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 56 programs 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Amherst College this year for Men's Basketball (Division III). Amherst College is a private not-for-profit school based in Amherst, MA. Team revenue averages $25,886 per participant, compared with $25,886 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bowdoin College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Brunswick, ME, Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $19,878 per participant, with expenses of about $18,873 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Williams College is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division III), at #3. Williams College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamstown, MA. The program generates about $15,299 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,299 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tufts University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Medford, MA, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,727, with expenses of about $15,706 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Middlebury College earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Middlebury, VT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,926, compared with $19,926 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bates College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Lewiston, ME, Bates College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $31,027 per participant, with expenses of about $25,370 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colby College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waterville, ME. Team revenue averages $21,853 per participant, against $21,853 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Babson College landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wellesley, MA. Team revenue averages $17,030 per participant, against $17,030 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit school based in Worcester, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,024, compared with $19,024 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Brandeis University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Waltham, MA, Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,495, with expenses of about $23,495 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cambridge, MA. Team revenue averages $9,058 per participant, against $9,058 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Connecticut College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in New London, CT, Connecticut College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,770, with expenses of about $14,770 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emerson College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Boston, MA, Emerson College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,248 in revenue per athlete, against $10,326 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wentworth Institute of Technology ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Team revenue averages $12,098 per participant, against $10,400 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Norton, MA, Wheaton College (Massachusetts) is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,292 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,292 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Salve Regina University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Newport, RI, Salve Regina University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,028 per participant, compared with $10,641 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Endicott College did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Beverly, MA, Endicott College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,434 per participant, compared with $8,434 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Norwich University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Based in Northfield, VT, Norwich University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,519, against $12,519 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Springfield College did well this year, earning the #19 position. Springfield College is a private not-for-profit school based in Springfield, MA. Team revenue averages $9,969 per participant, compared with $9,969 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Gordon College ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Gordon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wenham, MA. Team revenue averages $9,555 per participant, with expenses of about $9,021 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Roger Williams University did well this year, earning the #21 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bristol, RI. Team revenue averages $8,985 per participant, against $9,128 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western New England University came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Western New England University is a private not-for-profit school based in Springfield, MA. The program generates about $8,679 in revenue per athlete, against $8,679 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Suffolk University placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Boston, MA, Suffolk University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,370 per participant, against $10,370 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Nichols College placed #24 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Dudley, MA, Nichols College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,572, against $9,386 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of New England ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Biddeford, ME, University of New England is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,802, compared with $9,501 spent per athlete. 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 list is compiled 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.