by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 55 colleges for Men’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Stanford University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Stanford, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $672,836 in revenue per athlete, compared with $672,836 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $42,012 per athlete.
University of Southern California ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school based in Los Angeles, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $769,105, with expenses of about $769,105 per participant. Athletic aid averages $40,006 per athlete.
University of San Francisco is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball, at #3. Based in San Francisco, CA, University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $428,846, against $428,846 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $31,788.
San Diego State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. San Diego State University is a public school based in San Diego, CA. San Diego State University records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 70%. The program generates about $898,229 in revenue per athlete, against $535,923 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,450.
Loyola Marymount University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. Located in Los Angeles, CA, Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 978, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $577,037, against $577,037 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $40,056 per athlete.
California Institute of Technology came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Pasadena, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,641, with expenses of about $15,641 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of California-Irvine came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Irvine, CA, University of California-Irvine is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $265,501, against $265,501 in expenses. The school awards about $13,955 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chapman University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Orange, CA. The program generates about $15,624 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,624 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Baptist University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Based in Riverside, CA, California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. The program generates about $306,256 in revenue per athlete, compared with $255,798 spent per athlete. The school awards about $23,790 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-San Diego placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. University of California-San Diego is a public school based in La Jolla, CA. University of California-San Diego records an NCAA APR of 979, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $227,102 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $227,102 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,847.
Saint Mary's College of California came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Moraga, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $553,210, against $553,210 in expenses. The school awards about $18,999 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Los Angeles ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Located in Los Angeles, CA, University of California-Los Angeles is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 974, and a 63% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 29%. Team revenue averages $1,047,044 per participant, against $1,047,044 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,306.
Point Loma Nazarene University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in San Diego, CA, Point Loma Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $69,620, compared with $69,620 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,927.
Occidental College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Based in Los Angeles, CA, Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,953 per participant, against $15,019 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Santa Clara University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Santa Clara, CA, Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Santa Clara University records an NCAA APR of 986, and a 67% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 36%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $373,590, compared with $373,590 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,355 per athlete.
University of California-Santa Cruz placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Santa Cruz, CA. Team revenue averages $22,166 per participant, against $22,166 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Santa Barbara, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 986, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $218,285 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $218,285 per participant. The school awards about $11,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Davis landed the #18 spot this year. Located in Davis, CA, University of California-Davis is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 962, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 45%. The program generates about $173,695 in revenue per athlete, compared with $173,695 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,267.
University of California-Riverside ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Based in Riverside, CA, University of California-Riverside is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $194,485, with expenses of about $194,485 per participant. The school awards about $11,154 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dominican University of California came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in San Rafael, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,348, with expenses of about $41,348 per participant. The school awards about $7,270 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Berkeley ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Located in Berkeley, CA, University of California-Berkeley is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 963, and a 57% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 21%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $602,230, compared with $640,997 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,267.
California State University-Fresno landed the #22 spot this year. This public school is set in Fresno, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 952, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 44%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $248,790, with expenses of about $248,790 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,577 per athlete.
University of San Diego did well this year, earning the #23 position. University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit school based in San Diego, CA. University of San Diego records an NCAA APR of 949, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 43% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $253,733 per participant, with expenses of about $253,733 per participant. The school awards about $19,537 in athletic aid per athlete.
Biola University did well this year, earning the #24 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in La Mirada, CA. Team revenue averages $60,999 per participant, compared with $55,297 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Lutheran University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Based in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,292 per participant, compared with $13,292 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
