by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 6 colleges for Men’s Football (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Mississippi State University, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division I). Mississippi State University is a public school based in Mississippi State, MS. The team's NCAA APR score is 984, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $341,596, against $341,596 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,143.
University of Mississippi came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division I). Located in University, MS, University of Mississippi is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 970, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Team revenue averages $719,862 per participant, compared with $490,842 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $22,457 per athlete.
University of Southern Mississippi earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Hattiesburg, MS, University of Southern Mississippi is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 933, and a 71% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 48%. The program generates about $97,639 in revenue per athlete, compared with $97,639 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,309 per athlete.
Jackson State University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #4. Located in Jackson, MS, Jackson State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 961, alongside a GSR of 84%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $24,319 per participant, against $24,319 in expenses. The school awards about $7,647 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alcorn State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Alcorn State, MS, Alcorn State University is a public institution. Alcorn State University records an NCAA APR of 934, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 72%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $33,520, with expenses of about $33,520 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,599 per athlete.
Mississippi Valley State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Mississippi Valley State University is a public school based in Itta Bena, MS. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 894, with a Graduation Success Rate of 63%. The federal graduation rate stands at 26%. The program generates about $15,774 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,774 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,569.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.