by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 13 schools for Men’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Seattle University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Seattle, WA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $210,985 in revenue per athlete, against $210,985 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,482 per athlete.
Whitman College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Walla Walla, WA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,115, against $18,443 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Seattle, WA. The team's NCAA APR score is 976, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Team revenue averages $841,053 per participant, compared with $732,830 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $26,539 per athlete.
Gonzaga University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Gonzaga University is a private not-for-profit school based in Spokane, WA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,026,871, against $715,193 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,963 per athlete.
Washington State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Pullman, WA. Washington State University records an NCAA APR of 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 40%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $474,313, against $309,716 in expenses. The school awards about $20,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Based in Tacoma, WA, Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,634 per participant, against $13,451 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Eastern Washington University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Cheney, WA. Eastern Washington University records an NCAA APR of 980, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $139,593, with expenses of about $139,593 per participant. The school awards about $11,120 in athletic aid per athlete.
Whitworth University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Located in Spokane, WA, Whitworth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $21,968 per participant, with expenses of about $19,193 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Western Washington University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Western Washington University is a public school based in Bellingham, WA. Team revenue averages $54,852 per participant, with expenses of about $54,852 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,961 per athlete.
University of Puget Sound came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tacoma, WA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,079, with expenses of about $10,079 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Seattle Pacific University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Located in Seattle, WA, Seattle Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $46,764 in revenue per athlete, compared with $46,764 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,836.
Saint Martin's University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Saint Martin's University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lacey, WA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $69,581, against $69,581 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,343.
Central Washington University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Located in Ellensburg, WA, Central Washington University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $47,760 per participant, compared with $45,405 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,377 in athletic aid 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.