by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 14 programs for Men’s Football (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Jump to the options below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Wake Forest University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Winston-Salem, NC, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 998, alongside a GSR of 99%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. The program generates about $303,076 in revenue per athlete, compared with $303,076 spent per athlete. The school awards about $38,933 in athletic aid per athlete.
Duke University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Durham, NC, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 87%. Team revenue averages $556,665 per participant, against $391,434 in expenses. The school awards about $34,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elon University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Elon, NC. Elon University records an NCAA APR of 993, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 88%. Team revenue averages $70,775 per participant, against $70,775 in expenses. The school awards about $25,795 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division I). This public school is set in Chapel Hill, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, alongside a GSR of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 76%. The program generates about $514,936 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $399,559 per participant. The school awards about $17,771 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Raleigh, NC, North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 84%. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $558,053, with expenses of about $324,283 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,384 per athlete.
Davidson College did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Davidson, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, alongside a GSR of 97%. Team revenue averages $33,531 per participant, against $25,890 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,830 per athlete.
Appalachian State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Appalachian State University is a public school based in Boone, NC. Appalachian State University records an NCAA APR of 969, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $108,926 in revenue per athlete, compared with $108,926 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,299 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Carolina University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Greenville, NC, East Carolina University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 975, and a 81% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $127,757, compared with $127,698 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,584 in athletic aid per athlete.
Campbell University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Buies Creek, NC. Campbell University records an NCAA APR of 930, alongside a GSR of 85%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Team revenue averages $40,962 per participant, compared with $40,962 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,433.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). This public school is set in Charlotte, NC. University of North Carolina at Charlotte records an NCAA APR of 931, alongside a GSR of 80%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Team revenue averages $97,919 per participant, against $127,634 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,522 per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Boiling Springs, NC, Gardner-Webb University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 967, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. The program generates about $38,509 in revenue per athlete, compared with $38,509 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,936 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Carolina Central University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Durham, NC, North Carolina Central University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 975, and a 64% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,516, against $44,516 in expenses. The school awards about $14,804 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Carolina University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Western Carolina University is a public school based in Cullowhee, NC. Western Carolina University records an NCAA APR of 944, and a 74% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. The program generates about $32,564 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $32,564 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,960 per athlete.
North Carolina A & T State University landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Greensboro, NC, North Carolina A & T State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 946, and a 67% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. The program generates about $29,577 in revenue per athlete, against $29,578 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,465 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.