by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 10 schools for Men’s Football (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual weighs 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:
Leading the list is University of Miami, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Miami records an NCAA APR of 984, alongside a GSR of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $786,333, against $693,842 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $38,474 per athlete.
University of Florida is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #2. Located in Gainesville, FL, University of Florida is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 988, alongside a GSR of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. Team revenue averages $865,279 per participant, against $395,160 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $23,180 per athlete.
University of Central Florida earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Orlando, FL. University of Central Florida records an NCAA APR of 981, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. The program generates about $250,714 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $322,459 per participant. The school awards about $25,195 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Florida State University is a public school based in Tallahassee, FL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, alongside a GSR of 84%. Its federal graduation rate is 54%. The program generates about $673,143 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $671,516 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,364 per athlete.
University of South Florida ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). This public school is set in Tampa, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 965, alongside a GSR of 83%. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $256,560, compared with $256,560 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,287 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida International University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Miami, FL, Florida International University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 963, with a Graduation Success Rate of 76%. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Team revenue averages $112,587 per participant, compared with $112,587 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,058.
Florida Atlantic University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Florida Atlantic University is a public school based in Boca Raton, FL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 942, with a Graduation Success Rate of 73%. The federal graduation rate stands at 62%. The program generates about $168,091 in revenue per athlete, compared with $168,091 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,971 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stetson University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Stetson University is a private not-for-profit school based in DeLand, FL. Stetson University records an NCAA APR of 961, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,212, compared with $17,212 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,035 per athlete.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Tallahassee, FL, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public institution. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University records an NCAA APR of 918, alongside a GSR of 60%. About 52% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,236, with expenses of about $29,772 per participant. The school awards about $11,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bethune-Cookman University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Daytona Beach, FL, Bethune-Cookman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 914, with a Graduation Success Rate of 74%. The federal graduation rate stands at 45%. The program generates about $39,136 in revenue per athlete, compared with $39,136 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,940 per athlete.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.