by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 12 schools for Men’s Basketball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Austin College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Sherman, TX. Team revenue averages $11,609 per participant, compared with $11,407 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Dallas ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Irving, TX, University of Dallas is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,392 per participant, against $9,392 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
LeTourneau University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Longview, TX, LeTourneau University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,724 in revenue per athlete, against $13,724 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball (Division III). University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is a private not-for-profit school based in Belton, TX. Team revenue averages $18,157 per participant, against $18,157 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hardin-Simmons University landed the #5 spot for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Abilene, TX, Hardin-Simmons University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,648 per participant, with expenses of about $12,072 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Texas Lutheran University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Texas Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Seguin, TX. The program generates about $7,759 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,932 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
East Texas Baptist University did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Marshall, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,897, with expenses of about $8,897 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Schreiner University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Kerrville, TX. Team revenue averages $8,394 per participant, compared with $8,767 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
McMurry University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Abilene, TX, McMurry University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,331 per participant, against $11,331 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Concordia University Texas came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Austin, TX. Team revenue averages $5,866 per participant, compared with $5,866 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Sul Ross State University landed the #11 spot this year. Located in Alpine, TX, Sul Ross State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,437, with expenses of about $9,711 per participant. Athletic aid averages $891 per athlete.
Howard Payne University landed the #12 spot this year. Based in Brownwood, TX, Howard Payne University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,103, against $7,424 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.