by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 8 colleges for Men’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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:
Salve Regina University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Newport, RI. The program generates about $11,028 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,641 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Brown University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball, at #2. Based in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. Brown University records an NCAA APR of 988, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. Team revenue averages $119,985 per participant, with expenses of about $119,985 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Providence College is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball, at #3. Located in Providence, RI, Providence College is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 957, with a Graduation Success Rate of 82%. The federal graduation rate stands at 43%. The program generates about $782,413 in revenue per athlete, against $782,413 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $25,955 per athlete.
University of Rhode Island landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball. University of Rhode Island is a public school based in Kingston, RI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. Team revenue averages $523,814 per participant, with expenses of about $523,814 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,857.
Roger Williams University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Bristol, RI, Roger Williams University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,985, compared with $9,128 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bryant University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Smithfield, RI, Bryant University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 930, alongside a GSR of 89%. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $142,443 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $142,443 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,982 per athlete.
Johnson & Wales University-Providence landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Providence, RI. The program generates about $13,849 in revenue per athlete, against $13,849 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rhode Island College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Providence, RI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,902, compared with $8,902 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.