by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 31 programs for Men’s Football (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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.
Not quite what you need? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than Fordham University this year for Men's Football (Division I). Fordham University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bronx, NY. Fordham University records an NCAA APR of 992, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. About 81% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $90,137 per participant, with expenses of about $90,137 per participant. The school awards about $32,443 in athletic aid per athlete.
Villanova University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division I). Villanova University is a private not-for-profit school based in Villanova, PA. Villanova University records an NCAA APR of 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. About 87% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $91,669 per participant, with expenses of about $91,669 per participant. Athletic aid averages $25,480 per athlete.
Colgate University landed the #3 spot for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Hamilton, NY, Colgate University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. The program generates about $86,118 in revenue per athlete, against $86,118 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $22,658 per athlete.
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 975, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. The federal graduation rate stands at 66%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $484,938, against $399,506 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $30,613 per athlete.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #5. Located in New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public institution. Rutgers University-New Brunswick records an NCAA APR of 982, and a 85% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. The program generates about $554,182 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $554,182 per participant. The school awards about $26,379 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lafayette College landed the #6 spot this year. Lafayette College is a private not-for-profit school based in Easton, PA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 76% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $82,668 in revenue per athlete, compared with $82,668 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,987.
Temple University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Philadelphia, PA, Temple University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 965, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 72% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $228,657 per participant, with expenses of about $228,657 per participant. The school awards about $28,567 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lehigh University landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Bethlehem, PA, Lehigh University is a private not-for-profit institution. Lehigh University records an NCAA APR of 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 87%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $78,270, with expenses of about $78,270 per participant. The school awards about $19,391 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Maryland-College Park placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Based in College Park, MD, University of Maryland-College Park is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 960, with a Graduation Success Rate of 79%. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. The program generates about $525,590 in revenue per athlete, against $295,855 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $30,606 per athlete.
Bucknell University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lewisburg, PA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 975, alongside a GSR of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $76,739, with expenses of about $76,739 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,655.
Syracuse University landed the #11 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Syracuse, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 970, with a Graduation Success Rate of 77%. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $520,849, compared with $339,436 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $33,068.
University of Delaware did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Newark, DE, University of Delaware is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 972, with a Graduation Success Rate of 84%. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. Team revenue averages $92,062 per participant, against $92,062 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,002.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). This public school is set in University Park, PA. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 957, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $1,156,266 per participant, against $595,278 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,170.
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Based in New York, NY, Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 997, and a 97% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,326, with expenses of about $48,326 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Georgetown University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit school based in Washington, DC. The team's NCAA APR score is 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 97%. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,750, compared with $25,750 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,232 in athletic aid per athlete.
University at Buffalo ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Buffalo, NY, University at Buffalo is a public institution. University at Buffalo records an NCAA APR of 942, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 68%. The program generates about $119,475 in revenue per athlete, against $119,475 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,340 per athlete.
University of Pennsylvania placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Philadelphia, PA, University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Pennsylvania records an NCAA APR of 987, alongside a GSR of 93%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,110, against $32,110 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Monmouth University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Based in West Long Branch, NJ, Monmouth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 971, alongside a GSR of 78%. The federal graduation rate stands at 66%. Team revenue averages $61,611 per participant, against $61,611 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,376.
Cornell University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 974, with a Graduation Success Rate of 97%. Team revenue averages $42,107 per participant, against $42,107 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Princeton University landed the #20 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Princeton, NJ. Princeton University records an NCAA APR of 981, alongside a GSR of 95%. Team revenue averages $41,549 per participant, compared with $41,549 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Stony Brook University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Stony Brook, NY, Stony Brook University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 955, and a 85% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $70,798 per participant, against $70,798 in expenses. The school awards about $15,341 in athletic aid per athlete.
Duquesne University landed the #22 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Pittsburgh, PA. Duquesne University records an NCAA APR of 971, and a 81% Graduation Success Rate. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $43,238, against $43,238 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,755.
Marist University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Marist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 974, alongside a GSR of 91%. The program generates about $20,778 in revenue per athlete, against $20,778 in expenses. The school awards about $9,661 in athletic aid per athlete.
University at Albany did well this year, earning the #24 position. University at Albany is a public school based in Albany, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 959, alongside a GSR of 76%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Team revenue averages $56,503 per participant, with expenses of about $49,494 per participant. The school awards about $13,856 in athletic aid per athlete.
Howard University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Washington, DC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 951, alongside a GSR of 67%. Its federal graduation rate is 51%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $54,683, with expenses of about $54,683 per participant. The school awards about $17,365 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.