by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 12 programs 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:
Leading the list is Harding University, our #1 college for Men's Basketball. Based in Searcy, AR, Harding University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $46,765 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $46,506 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,216 per athlete.
University of Arkansas is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball, at #2. Located in Fayetteville, AR, University of Arkansas is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 976, alongside a GSR of 57%. Its federal graduation rate is 13%. Team revenue averages $1,692,826 per participant, with expenses of about $1,416,935 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,062 per athlete.
University of Central Arkansas landed the #3 spot for Men's Basketball. Located in Conway, AR, University of Central Arkansas is a public institution. University of Central Arkansas records an NCAA APR of 962, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. The program generates about $87,797 in revenue per athlete, compared with $87,797 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,449 in athletic aid per athlete.
Arkansas State University landed the #4 spot for Men's Basketball. Located in Jonesboro, AR, Arkansas State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 951, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $189,046 per participant, with expenses of about $189,046 per participant. The school awards about $16,588 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Arkadelphia, AR, Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $46,042 in revenue per athlete, compared with $41,010 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,935 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Little Rock, AR, University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 957, alongside a GSR of 75%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Team revenue averages $148,412 per participant, against $148,412 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,309.
Hendrix College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Conway, AR, Hendrix College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,440, against $6,440 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lyon College landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Batesville, AR, Lyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,362 per participant, against $7,362 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in Pine Bluff, AR. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 937, alongside a GSR of 75%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. The program generates about $48,786 in revenue per athlete, against $48,786 in expenses. The school awards about $8,028 in athletic aid per athlete.
Arkansas Tech University landed the #10 spot this year. This public school is set in Russellville, AR. Team revenue averages $23,384 per participant, with expenses of about $23,384 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,208.
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Fort Smith, AR, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,360, with expenses of about $34,925 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,102.
Henderson State University did well this year, earning the #12 position. This public school is set in Arkadelphia, AR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,897, with expenses of about $28,897 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,143.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.