2021 Top Men's D1 Football Schools
When pursuing a degree in today's world, student athletes have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for Division I Men's Football ranking is part of that endeavor.
After analyzing 117 schools in the United States, we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for D1 Men's Football athletes. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as the athletic competitiveness of the school and the school's overall quality. This means that a school must provide students with a great education in addition to having a good sports team if it wants to rank well.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Top Colleges in the U.S. for D1 Men's Football athletes
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our 2021 rankings named University of Richmond the best school for D1 Men’s Football athletes working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 1,005 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The FCS Men’s Football team at URichmond brought home $7,031,345 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 984 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. URichmond excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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A rank of #2 on our list means James Madison University is a great place for D1 Men’s Football athletes working on their bachelor’s degree. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,665 students in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at JMU made $10,649,299 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 952.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. JMU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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A rank of #3 on our list means Lehigh University is a great place for D1 Men’s Football athletes working on their bachelor’s degree. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,379 students in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Lehigh took home $5,969,420 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 972.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. On top of its placing in this ranking, Lehigh also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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The excellent sports programs at Villanova University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for D1 Men’s Football athletes. Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It awarded 2,240 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The FCS Men’s Football team at Villanova brought home $6,765,161 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 983, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. In addition to its great ranking here, Villanova is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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The excellent sports programs at University of Dayton helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for D1 Men’s Football athletes. Located in Dayton, Ohio, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,167 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at UDayton made $159,593 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 991, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. UDayton also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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University of San Diego did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #6. San Diego, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,501 students in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at USD took home $1,532,784 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 977.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USD also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
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With a ranking of #7, Wofford College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Wofford is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It awarded 476 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The FCS Men’s Football team at Wofford brought home $5,529,094 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 984 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, Wofford also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Princeton University landed the #8 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Princeton University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 1,297 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Princeton made $4,030,758 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 982, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Princeton not only placed well in this ranking, but it is also #1 on our overall quality list.
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Fordham University landed the #9 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Fordham U is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 2,501 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Fordham U took home $7,594,200 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 985, signifying that team members care about their grades.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great ranking here, Fordham U is in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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With a ranking of #10, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 3,632 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at UPenn took home $3,485,696 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 992 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UPenn also is in the top 1% of our overall quality ranking.
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Colgate University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Colgate is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hamilton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 894 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Colgate made $6,743,022 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 990.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Colgate also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
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Harvard University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #12. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,902 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Harvard made $3,163,293 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 982 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Harvard also made our overall quality list, coming in at #3.
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Duquesne University landed the #13 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 1,487 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Duquesne made $3,935,782 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 943.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Duquesne also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Samford University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 891 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The FCS Men’s Football team at Samford brought home $5,938,603 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 977 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Samford also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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University of New Hampshire - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. University of New Hampshire - Main Campus is a fairly large public school located in Durham, New Hampshire that handed out 3,550 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at UNH made $5,264,384 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 970.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, UNH also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, the fairly large public school awarded 2,588 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at North Dakota State University took home $6,048,728 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 986 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
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Drake University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #17. Drake is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 896 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The team at Drake took home $1,406,161 in revenue and paid out $1,185,998 in expenses in recent times. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $220,163 in profit. The academic progress rate of the team is 969.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Drake also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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College of William and Mary did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, the medium-sized public school handed out 2,072 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at William & Mary took home $7,073,588 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 979, signifying that team members care about their grades.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. William & Mary also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
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Furman University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Furman University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Greenville, South Carolina that handed out 732 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Furman brought in $7,366,155 while tallying up $6,808,128 in expenses for its FCS Men’s Football team. That boils down to a yearly profit of $558,027 for the sports team.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. Furman excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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University of Delaware landed the #20 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Newark, Delaware is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,849 students in 2018-2019.
UD brought in $8,313,306 while tallying up $7,844,569 in expenses for its FCS Men’s Football team. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $468,737 in profit. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 958.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UD also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
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California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, the large public school awarded 5,185 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo made $4,546,931 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 983, signifying that team members care about their grades.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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College of the Holy Cross ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football list. Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 848 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Holy Cross made $5,605,872 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 987, signifying that team members care about their grades.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Holy Cross also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
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Mercer University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Macon, Georgia, and it awarded 1,205 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Mercer made $5,307,714 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 961.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. On top of its placing in this ranking, Mercer also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #24, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. UND is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 2,231 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at UND made $4,965,053 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 962.
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Dartmouth College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1,249 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Dartmouth took home $3,357,730 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 992.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Dartmouth excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 1% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Revenue and expense information comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s Equity in Athletics Data Analysis (EADA) website.
- The academic progress rate (APR) of each team was made available by the NCAA.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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