by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 16 schools for Men’s Basketball 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
University of Connecticut earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. Located in Storrs, CT, University of Connecticut is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,551,948, with expenses of about $1,551,948 per participant. The school awards about $20,776 in athletic aid per athlete.
Connecticut College earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in New London, CT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,770, against $14,770 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Quinnipiac University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. Based in Hamden, CT, Quinnipiac University is a private not-for-profit institution. Quinnipiac University records an NCAA APR of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Team revenue averages $173,672 per participant, with expenses of about $173,672 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,084 per athlete.
University of New Haven came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. Located in West Haven, CT, University of New Haven is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $53,560 in revenue per athlete, compared with $53,179 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,566 per athlete.
Fairfield University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fairfield, CT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 968, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $196,107 per participant, with expenses of about $196,107 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,587 per athlete.
University of Hartford placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Based in West Hartford, CT, University of Hartford is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,218 per participant, against $27,523 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $587.
Yale University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in New Haven, CT, Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution. Yale University records an NCAA APR of 996, alongside a GSR of 100%. Team revenue averages $131,353 per participant, with expenses of about $131,353 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Eastern Connecticut State University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Willimantic, CT, Eastern Connecticut State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,601, with expenses of about $14,601 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Central Connecticut State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Central Connecticut State University is a public school based in New Britain, CT. Central Connecticut State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 77%. About 31% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $78,831 per participant, with expenses of about $78,831 per participant. The school awards about $7,791 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sacred Heart University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Based in Fairfield, CT, Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 963, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 47% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $137,136 per participant, with expenses of about $137,136 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,128 per athlete.
University of Bridgeport ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Located in Bridgeport, CT, University of Bridgeport is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $25,348 per participant, compared with $24,275 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,070 per athlete.
Western Connecticut State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Danbury, CT, Western Connecticut State University is a public institution. The program generates about $12,579 in revenue per athlete, against $12,579 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Southern Connecticut State University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Southern Connecticut State University is a public school based in New Haven, CT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,680, with expenses of about $48,680 per participant. The school awards about $4,062 in athletic aid per athlete.
Post University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Located in Waterbury, CT, Post University is a private for-profit institution. The program generates about $34,317 in revenue per athlete, against $33,580 in expenses. The school awards about $8,848 in athletic aid per athlete.
Albertus Magnus College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Albertus Magnus College is a private not-for-profit school based in New Haven, CT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,258, with expenses of about $8,258 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Mitchell College did well this year, earning the #16 position. Located in New London, CT, Mitchell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,230 per participant, compared with $2,666 spent per athlete. 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. 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.