by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 10 colleges for Men’s Football (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Ohio State University-Main Campus tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Columbus, OH, Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. About 60% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $1,315,982 per participant, with expenses of about $757,044 per participant. The school awards about $27,151 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). University of Cincinnati-Main Campus is a public school based in Cincinnati, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, and a 98% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $253,577, compared with $253,577 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,882 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Toledo is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #3. Based in Toledo, OH, University of Toledo is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 982, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $103,478, with expenses of about $103,478 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,660.
University of Dayton is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #4. University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit school based in Dayton, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 95%. The program generates about $4,403 in revenue per athlete, compared with $18,650 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,913 per athlete.
Ohio University-Main Campus earned the #5 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Athens, OH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 963, alongside a GSR of 84%. About 68% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $79,504 per participant, with expenses of about $79,504 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,284 per athlete.
Miami University-Oxford placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Oxford, OH, Miami University-Oxford is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 952, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $68,431, compared with $68,431 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,790.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Bowling Green, OH, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 963, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $99,599, with expenses of about $101,710 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,840 per athlete.
Kent State University at Kent placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Kent State University at Kent is a public school based in Kent, OH. Kent State University at Kent records an NCAA APR of 961, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Team revenue averages $94,103 per participant, compared with $94,103 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,976.
Youngstown State University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Youngstown, OH, Youngstown State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 73%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,851, compared with $40,851 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,634 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Akron Main Campus did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Akron, OH, University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 919, with a Graduation Success Rate of 67%. Its federal graduation rate is 53%. The program generates about $69,372 in revenue per athlete, against $69,372 in expenses. The school awards about $12,189 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.