by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. 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:
Our analysis found Macalester College to be the best college for Men's Basketball (Division III) in Minnesota. Based in Saint Paul, MN, Macalester College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $21,136 per participant, compared with $22,713 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carleton College landed the #2 spot for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Northfield, MN, Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,608 per participant, compared with $9,350 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Olaf College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Based in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $17,777 per participant, compared with $16,540 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota earned the #4 place for student athletes. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private not-for-profit school based in Winona, MN. The program generates about $12,625 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,625 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). Located in Saint Peter, MN, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,242 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,242 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Martin Luther College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in New Ulm, MN, Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,316 per participant, with expenses of about $5,316 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Northwestern-St Paul came in at #7 in this year's ranking. University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $4,912 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,612 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
North Central University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Minneapolis, MN, North Central University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,110 in revenue per athlete, against $7,110 in expenses. The school awards about $49 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Morris did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Morris, MN, University of Minnesota-Morris is a public institution. Team revenue averages $7,915 per participant, compared with $7,824 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Augsburg University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Minneapolis, MN. Team revenue averages $14,218 per participant, with expenses of about $14,218 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hamline University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Saint Paul, MN, Hamline University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,346 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,346 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bethany Lutheran College did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Mankato, MN, Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,210 per participant, compared with $9,707 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.