by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 15 programs for Men’s Football (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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:
Our analysis found University of Utah to be the best college for Men's Football (Division I) in the Rocky Mountains Region. Based in Salt Lake City, UT, University of Utah is a public institution. University of Utah records an NCAA APR of 976, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $761,357 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $328,655 per participant. Athletic aid averages $29,047 per athlete.
Boise State University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Boise, ID, Boise State University is a public institution. Boise State University records an NCAA APR of 984, and a 98% Graduation Success Rate. About 63% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $476,007 in revenue per athlete, compared with $220,110 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $29,790 per athlete.
University of Colorado Boulder earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Boulder, CO. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 959, and a 87% Graduation Success Rate. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $587,341, with expenses of about $362,754 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,674.
University of Wyoming ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Laramie, WY, University of Wyoming is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 969, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 48%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $142,142, against $111,897 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,612.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #5. Located in Fort Collins, CO, Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 962, and a 74% Graduation Success Rate. About 59% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $194,514, against $194,514 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,001.
Brigham Young University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Provo, UT, Brigham Young University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 953, and a 70% Graduation Success Rate. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $383,081 in revenue per athlete, compared with $330,082 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,191.
Montana State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Bozeman, MT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 975, alongside a GSR of 72%. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. The program generates about $130,496 in revenue per athlete, against $88,911 in expenses. The school awards about $16,472 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Montana did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Missoula, MT, The University of Montana is a public institution. The University of Montana records an NCAA APR of 984, and a 81% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 59%. Team revenue averages $84,448 per participant, compared with $66,343 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,798 in athletic aid per athlete.
Utah State University landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in Logan, UT. Utah State University records an NCAA APR of 936, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. Its federal graduation rate is 70%. The program generates about $157,364 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $157,364 per participant. The school awards about $14,542 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Idaho landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Moscow, ID, University of Idaho is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 964, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $56,831 per participant, compared with $56,831 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,739 in athletic aid per athlete.
Weber State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. This public school is set in Ogden, UT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 966, with a Graduation Success Rate of 77%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,408, with expenses of about $49,408 per participant. The school awards about $10,446 in athletic aid per athlete.
Idaho State University landed the #12 spot this year. This public school is set in Pocatello, ID. The team's NCAA APR score is 956, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. About 66% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $49,935 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $49,935 per participant. The school awards about $12,538 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Northern Colorado placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Greeley, CO, University of Northern Colorado is a public institution. University of Northern Colorado records an NCAA APR of 940, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. Team revenue averages $47,516 per participant, compared with $47,516 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,220.
Southern Utah University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Cedar City, UT, Southern Utah University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 944, alongside a GSR of 75%. Its federal graduation rate is 42%. Team revenue averages $47,202 per participant, with expenses of about $39,074 per participant. The school awards about $10,065 in athletic aid per athlete.
Utah Tech University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Utah Tech University is a public school based in Saint George, UT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 912, alongside a GSR of 50%. Its federal graduation rate is 30%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $43,398, compared with $43,398 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,796.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.