by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 12 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Austin College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). Austin College is a private not-for-profit school based in Sherman, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,609, compared with $11,407 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Dallas landed the #2 spot for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Irving, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,392, against $9,392 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
LeTourneau University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Longview, TX. Team revenue averages $13,724 per participant, against $13,724 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Belton, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,157, with expenses of about $18,157 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hardin-Simmons University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Abilene, TX, Hardin-Simmons University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,648 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,072 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Texas Lutheran University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Seguin, TX, Texas Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,759 per participant, with expenses of about $7,932 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Texas Baptist University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. East Texas Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Marshall, TX. The program generates about $8,897 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,897 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Schreiner University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Kerrville, TX, Schreiner University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,394 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,767 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
McMurry University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Abilene, TX, McMurry University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,331 per participant, compared with $11,331 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Concordia University Texas ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Austin, TX, Concordia University Texas is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,866 per participant, with expenses of about $5,866 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Sul Ross State University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Alpine, TX, Sul Ross State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,437, against $9,711 in expenses. The school awards about $891 in athletic aid per athlete.
Howard Payne University placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Howard Payne University is a private not-for-profit school based in Brownwood, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,103, with expenses of about $7,424 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.