by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 7 schools for Men’s Football (Division I) 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Northwestern University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Evanston, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 99%. About 97% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $785,207, compared with $347,723 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53,919.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Champaign, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, with a Graduation Success Rate of 79%. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $738,989, compared with $403,373 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,398.
Northern Illinois University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Dekalb, IL, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. Northern Illinois University records an NCAA APR of 974, alongside a GSR of 84%. The federal graduation rate stands at 65%. The program generates about $92,651 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $92,302 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,138 per athlete.
Illinois State University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #4. Illinois State University is a public school based in Normal, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 980, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. The program generates about $39,994 in revenue per athlete, against $39,994 in expenses. The school awards about $13,477 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Carbondale, IL, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is a public institution. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale records an NCAA APR of 970, and a 87% Graduation Success Rate. About 61% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,092, against $48,092 in expenses. The school awards about $11,525 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Illinois University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Eastern Illinois University is a public school based in Charleston, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 947, and a 72% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 48%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,817, with expenses of about $42,817 per participant. The school awards about $7,653 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Illinois University landed the #7 spot this year. This public school is set in Macomb, IL. Western Illinois University records an NCAA APR of 928, and a 70% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. Team revenue averages $30,829 per participant, compared with $30,829 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,303 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.