by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 9 programs for Men’s Basketball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Bowdoin College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit school based in Brunswick, ME. The program generates about $19,878 in revenue per athlete, against $18,873 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bates College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Lewiston, ME, Bates College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $31,027 in revenue per athlete, compared with $25,370 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Colby College is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball (Division III), at #3. Located in Waterville, ME, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $21,853 in revenue per athlete, compared with $21,853 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Maine Maritime Academy ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Castine, ME, Maine Maritime Academy is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,346, with expenses of about $9,346 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of New England landed the #5 spot 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, against $9,501 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Husson University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Bangor, ME. The program generates about $14,628 in revenue per athlete, against $12,903 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Southern Maine placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Portland, ME, University of Southern Maine is a public institution. The program generates about $8,769 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,631 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Thomas College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Waterville, ME, Thomas College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,916, compared with $5,354 spent per athlete. The school awards about $244 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Maine at Presque Isle did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Presque Isle, ME, University of Maine at Presque Isle is a public institution. Team revenue averages $3,870 per participant, with expenses of about $3,870 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.