by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 16 schools 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Boston College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Chestnut Hill, MA. Boston College records an NCAA APR of 990, alongside a GSR of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. The program generates about $321,157 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $278,546 per participant. Athletic aid averages $29,391 per athlete.
College of the Holy Cross landed the #2 spot for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Worcester, MA, College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $79,823 per participant, with expenses of about $79,823 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,801 per athlete.
Harvard University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #3. Based in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, and a 99% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $43,697 in revenue per athlete, compared with $43,697 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Rhode Island is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #4. This public school is set in Kingston, RI. The team's NCAA APR score is 963, alongside a GSR of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 73%. Team revenue averages $68,822 per participant, against $68,822 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,857.
Yale University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Based in New Haven, CT, Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $64,548, with expenses of about $64,548 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Connecticut ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). University of Connecticut is a public school based in Storrs, CT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 952, alongside a GSR of 81%. The federal graduation rate stands at 59%. Team revenue averages $181,238 per participant, with expenses of about $181,238 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,776 per athlete.
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Durham, NH, University of New Hampshire-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 975, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $63,881, compared with $63,881 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,869 per athlete.
Bryant University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Smithfield, RI. The team's NCAA APR score is 987, alongside a GSR of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,190, compared with $44,190 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,982 per athlete.
Dartmouth College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Hanover, NH, Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Team revenue averages $35,473 per participant, compared with $35,473 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). This public school is set in Amherst, MA. The team's NCAA APR score is 953, and a 74% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 59%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $120,892, compared with $120,892 spent per athlete. The school awards about $17,175 in athletic aid per athlete.
Merrimack College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 979, alongside a GSR of 71%. About 51% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $47,801 per participant, with expenses of about $47,801 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,394.
Brown University landed the #12 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Providence, RI. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,860, with expenses of about $31,860 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Stonehill College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Easton, MA, Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 963, alongside a GSR of 89%. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. Team revenue averages $28,183 per participant, against $28,183 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,278.
Sacred Heart University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fairfield, CT. The team's NCAA APR score is 963, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. About 56% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $35,153 per participant, compared with $35,153 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,128 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Maine placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). This public school is set in Orono, ME. University of Maine records an NCAA APR of 954, and a 74% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. The program generates about $52,864 in revenue per athlete, compared with $52,864 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,613.
Central Connecticut State University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Central Connecticut State University is a public school based in New Britain, CT. The team's NCAA APR score is 952, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. About 70% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,773, compared with $26,773 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,791.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.