by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 6 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 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is University of Louisville, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Louisville, KY, University of Louisville is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 979, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. About 66% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $275,757 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $256,209 per participant. The school awards about $21,083 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Kentucky ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). This public school is set in Lexington, KY. University of Kentucky records an NCAA APR of 977, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 49%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $354,770, with expenses of about $354,770 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,921.
Western Kentucky University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Western Kentucky University is a public school based in Bowling Green, KY. Western Kentucky University records an NCAA APR of 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 84%. About 52% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $98,574 in revenue per athlete, compared with $98,574 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,243 per athlete.
Eastern Kentucky University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Richmond, KY, Eastern Kentucky University is a public institution. Eastern Kentucky University records an NCAA APR of 957, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 53%. Team revenue averages $55,570 per participant, with expenses of about $55,570 per participant. Athletic aid averages $12,644 per athlete.
Murray State University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #5. Based in Murray, KY, Murray State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 931, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. About 49% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,238, compared with $36,385 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,774 in athletic aid per athlete.
Morehead State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Morehead State University is a public school based in Morehead, KY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 938, with a Graduation Success Rate of 58%. Team revenue averages $12,664 per participant, against $13,073 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,170 per athlete.
*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.