by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 252 colleges 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Knoxville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. The program generates about $2,354,461 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,349,461 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $29,054 per athlete.
University of Miami ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Coral Gables, FL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Team revenue averages $1,276,083 per participant, with expenses of about $1,026,182 per participant. The school awards about $38,474 in athletic aid per athlete.
Clemson University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Clemson, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $740,749 per participant, against $740,749 in expenses. The school awards about $21,730 in athletic aid per athlete.
Furman University is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball, at #4. Located in Greenville, SC, Furman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $270,199 per participant, with expenses of about $270,199 per participant. The school awards about $28,699 in athletic aid per athlete.
Belmont University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. Belmont University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $267,528 per participant, compared with $267,528 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,742 per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 83%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Team revenue averages $939,050 per participant, compared with $876,127 spent per athlete. The school awards about $26,976 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elon University landed the #7 spot this year. Elon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Elon, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. The program generates about $203,923 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $203,923 per participant. Athletic aid averages $25,795 per athlete.
University of Richmond ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in University of Richmond, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $440,461, compared with $440,461 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Florida landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Gainesville, FL, University of Florida is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 983, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 46% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $958,778 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $745,985 per participant. Athletic aid averages $23,180 per athlete.
Emory University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Emory University is a private not-for-profit school based in Atlanta, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $51,850, against $32,217 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Louisville ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. University of Louisville is a public school based in Louisville, KY. University of Louisville records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 40%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,340,728, compared with $873,769 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,083 per athlete.
Liberty University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Based in Lynchburg, VA, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $371,118 in revenue per athlete, against $371,118 in expenses. The school awards about $16,589 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Kentucky placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. University of Kentucky is a public school based in Lexington, KY. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 0%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,424,716, against $1,424,716 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,921.
Vanderbilt University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, alongside a GSR of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 42%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $740,129, with expenses of about $740,129 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,235.
Tulane University of Louisiana ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Tulane University of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit school based in New Orleans, LA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. About 27% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $242,184 per participant, against $351,365 in expenses. The school awards about $36,413 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida State University landed the #16 spot this year. This public school is set in Tallahassee, FL. Florida State University records an NCAA APR of 988, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $909,849 in revenue per athlete, compared with $909,849 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,364.
West Virginia University landed the #17 spot this year. Based in Morgantown, WV, West Virginia University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $638,932 per participant, with expenses of about $638,932 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,705.
James Madison University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 20%. The program generates about $259,342 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $259,342 per participant. The school awards about $19,945 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lipscomb University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $184,720, with expenses of about $184,720 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,176 per athlete.
William & Mary came in at #20 in this year's ranking. William & Mary is a public school based in Williamsburg, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $162,729 in revenue per athlete, compared with $177,212 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,943 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wofford College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Based in Spartanburg, SC, Wofford College is a private not-for-profit institution. Wofford College records an NCAA APR of 983, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Team revenue averages $187,865 per participant, compared with $187,865 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,368.
Virginia Commonwealth University did well this year, earning the #22 position. Based in Richmond, VA, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. The program generates about $602,223 in revenue per athlete, compared with $602,223 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,187.
Florida Atlantic University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Located in Boca Raton, FL, Florida Atlantic University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. The program generates about $321,975 in revenue per athlete, against $321,975 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,971 per athlete.
Washington and Lee University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Located in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,596, compared with $15,451 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
The University of Alabama ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Based in Tuscaloosa, AL, The University of Alabama is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 975, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $1,220,348 in revenue per athlete, against $761,502 in expenses. The school awards about $20,760 in athletic aid per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
These colleges narrowly missed the top tiers:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Berry College | Mount Berry, GA |
*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.