by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 20 programs for Men’s Fencing (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Jump to the options below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Stanford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Fencing (Division I). Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Stanford, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,227, with expenses of about $21,227 per participant. The school awards about $42,012 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Notre Dame is one of the top schools for Men's Fencing (Division I), at #2. Located in Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $45,011 in revenue per athlete, against $45,011 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $34,391.
Ohio State University-Main Campus ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Fencing (Division I). Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Columbus, OH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $47,674 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $47,674 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
St. John's University-New York is one of the top schools for Men's Fencing (Division I), at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Queens, NY. St. John's University-New York records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $29,641 per participant, with expenses of about $29,641 per participant. The school awards about $29,040 in athletic aid per athlete.
Boston College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Fencing (Division I). Based in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,516, against $9,516 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $29,391 per athlete.
Duke University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Duke University is a private not-for-profit school based in Durham, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 988, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,341, with expenses of about $28,992 per participant. The school awards about $34,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
Princeton University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Fencing (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Princeton, NJ. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 996, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,088, against $31,088 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Columbia University in the City of New York did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. Team revenue averages $24,158 per participant, compared with $24,158 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus landed the #9 spot this year. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is a public school based in University Park, PA. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 982, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,851, with expenses of about $24,697 per participant. Athletic aid averages $25,170 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 985, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 93%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,031, with expenses of about $20,681 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,771.
University of California-San Diego ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Fencing (Division I). This public school is set in La Jolla, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 83%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,676, against $12,676 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,847 per athlete.
New Jersey Institute of Technology ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Fencing (Division I). Located in Newark, NJ, New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 949, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $20,445 per participant, compared with $19,745 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,477 in athletic aid per athlete.
Harvard University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Fencing (Division I). Based in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, alongside a GSR of 100%. Team revenue averages $20,173 per participant, against $20,173 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Yale University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Fencing (Division I). Yale University is a private not-for-profit school based in New Haven, CT. The team's NCAA APR score is 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The program generates about $15,642 in revenue per athlete, against $15,642 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Pennsylvania did well this year, earning the #15 position. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit school based in Philadelphia, PA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. The program generates about $14,107 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,107 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wagner College did well this year, earning the #16 position. Wagner College is a private not-for-profit school based in Staten Island, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 953. The program generates about $16,246 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,246 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,661 per athlete.
University of the Incarnate Word placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Fencing (Division I). University of the Incarnate Word is a private not-for-profit school based in San Antonio, TX. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, alongside a GSR of 75%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $19,872 in revenue per athlete, against $19,872 in expenses. The school awards about $18,744 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Detroit Mercy did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in Detroit, MI, University of Detroit Mercy is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 925, with a Graduation Success Rate of 50%. The federal graduation rate stands at 40%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,702, with expenses of about $15,702 per participant. The school awards about $11,135 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sacred Heart University placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Fencing (Division I). Located in Fairfield, CT, Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit institution. Sacred Heart University records an NCAA APR of 966, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,758, with expenses of about $5,758 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,128 per athlete.
Cleveland State University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Located in Cleveland, OH, Cleveland State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $5,936 per participant, against $5,682 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,645 per athlete.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.