by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 14 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:
No school ranked higher than University of Iowa this year for Men's Basketball. Based in Iowa City, IA, University of Iowa is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $982,495 in revenue per athlete, against $781,897 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,176.
Grinnell College is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball, at #2. Based in Grinnell, IA, Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,516 in revenue per athlete, against $8,516 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Iowa State University landed the #3 spot for Men's Basketball. Based in Ames, IA, Iowa State University is a public institution. Iowa State University records an NCAA APR of 994, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 20%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $962,514, with expenses of about $692,184 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,185 per athlete.
University of Northern Iowa came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Cedar Falls, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $209,683 in revenue per athlete, compared with $209,683 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,720 per athlete.
Drake University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. Drake University is a private not-for-profit school based in Des Moines, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 969, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Team revenue averages $356,265 per participant, against $356,265 in expenses. The school awards about $10,413 in athletic aid per athlete.
Luther College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Decorah, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,069, with expenses of about $4,070 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Cornell College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mount Vernon, IA. The program generates about $7,064 in revenue per athlete, against $6,404 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Loras College placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Based in Dubuque, IA, Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,931 in revenue per athlete, against $8,931 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wartburg College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waverly, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,055, with expenses of about $9,055 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Simpson College landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Indianola, IA, Simpson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,706, with expenses of about $7,703 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Buena Vista University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,798, against $10,798 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Upper Iowa University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Based in Fayette, IA, Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $24,791 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,791 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,035.
Coe College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,298, compared with $6,298 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Dubuque landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Dubuque, IA, University of Dubuque is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,218 per participant, with expenses of about $13,274 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*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.