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.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Fordham University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Bronx, NY, Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 95%. About 81% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $90,137, compared with $90,137 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $32,443 per athlete.
Colgate University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #2. Colgate University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hamilton, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 91% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $86,118, compared with $86,118 spent per athlete. The school awards about $22,658 in athletic aid per athlete.
Syracuse University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit school based in Syracuse, NY. Syracuse University records an NCAA APR of 970, alongside a GSR of 77%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Team revenue averages $520,849 per participant, compared with $339,436 spent per athlete. The school awards about $33,068 in athletic aid per athlete.
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division I). Located in New York, NY, Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Columbia University in the City of New York records an NCAA APR of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 97%. Team revenue averages $48,326 per participant, with expenses of about $48,326 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University at Buffalo ranked #5 among the best colleges 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, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. The federal graduation rate stands at 68%. The program generates about $119,475 in revenue per athlete, compared with $119,475 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,340 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cornell University landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ithaca, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 974, and a 97% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,107, compared with $42,107 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Stony Brook University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Stony Brook University is a public school based in Stony Brook, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 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.
Marist University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Marist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Poughkeepsie, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 974, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,778, with expenses of about $20,778 per participant. The school awards about $9,661 in athletic aid per athlete.
University at Albany did well this year, earning the #9 position. University at Albany is a public school based in Albany, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 959, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Team revenue averages $56,503 per participant, against $49,494 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,856 per athlete.
Wagner College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Staten Island, NY, Wagner College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 957, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 59%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,884, compared with $26,884 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,661.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.