by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 10 programs 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Saint Anselm College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Manchester, NH. The program generates about $85,261 in revenue per athlete, against $74,817 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,219.
Dartmouth College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Based in Hanover, NH, Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $88,607, with expenses of about $88,607 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rivier University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball, at #3. Based in Nashua, NH, Rivier University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,355 per participant, compared with $8,355 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Colby-Sawyer College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Colby-Sawyer College is a private not-for-profit school based in New London, NH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,288, compared with $4,288 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball, at #5. University of New Hampshire-Main Campus is a public school based in Durham, NH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 953, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. The program generates about $150,709 in revenue per athlete, compared with $150,709 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,869 in athletic aid per athlete.
Keene State College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Based in Keene, NH, Keene State College is a public institution. The program generates about $13,343 in revenue per athlete, against $13,343 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Southern New Hampshire University did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Manchester, NH. Team revenue averages $46,282 per participant, against $46,282 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,849 per athlete.
Franklin Pierce University landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Rindge, NH, Franklin Pierce University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,396, compared with $14,396 spent per athlete. The school awards about $292 in athletic aid per athlete.
Plymouth State University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Plymouth, NH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,333, with expenses of about $3,978 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
New England College landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Henniker, NH, New England College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,236 per participant, compared with $11,236 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. Rankings consider 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.