by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 7 programs 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Brigham Young University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. Located in Provo, UT, Brigham Young University is a private not-for-profit institution. Brigham Young University records an NCAA APR of 995, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $1,649,839 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,001,768 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,191 per athlete.
University of Utah ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Salt Lake City, UT. The team's NCAA APR score is 961, alongside a GSR of 67%. The federal graduation rate stands at 15%. Team revenue averages $943,426 per participant, compared with $497,473 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,047.
Utah State University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Logan, UT. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, with a Graduation Success Rate of 67%. About 36% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $381,200, with expenses of about $381,200 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,542.
Weber State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Based in Ogden, UT, Weber State University is a public institution. Weber State University records an NCAA APR of 989, alongside a GSR of 78%. About 22% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $138,984, with expenses of about $138,984 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,446.
Utah Valley University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Orem, UT, Utah Valley University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 0%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $137,200, compared with $137,200 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,013.
Southern Utah University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Cedar City, UT, Southern Utah University is a public institution. Southern Utah University records an NCAA APR of 930, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 40%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $79,728, against $86,298 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,065 per athlete.
Utah Tech University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Utah Tech University is a public school based in Saint George, UT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 935, and a 81% Graduation Success Rate. About 43% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $136,367 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $135,305 per participant. The school awards about $9,796 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.