by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 9 schools 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.
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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Clemson University, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 98%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $634,325 in revenue per athlete, against $592,239 in expenses. The school awards about $21,730 in athletic aid per athlete.
Furman University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Greenville, SC, Furman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $67,035 per participant, compared with $67,035 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $28,699 per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Columbia landed the #3 spot for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Columbia, SC, University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 976, alongside a GSR of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. The program generates about $642,968 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $469,408 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,645.
Wofford College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Spartanburg, SC, Wofford College is a private not-for-profit institution. Wofford College records an NCAA APR of 970, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $59,479 in revenue per athlete, against $59,479 in expenses. The school awards about $26,368 in athletic aid per athlete.
Coastal Carolina University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #5. Located in Conway, SC, Coastal Carolina University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 975, with a Graduation Success Rate of 76%. About 51% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $138,639 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $138,639 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,875.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Charleston, SC, Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 958, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $68,869 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $45,767 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,439.
Charleston Southern University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Charleston, SC, Charleston Southern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 950, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. About 58% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $34,405 per participant, compared with $34,405 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,092.
Presbyterian College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Clinton, SC, Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Presbyterian College records an NCAA APR of 939, with a Graduation Success Rate of 69%. The federal graduation rate stands at 39%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,158, with expenses of about $13,158 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,454.
South Carolina State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. This public school is set in Orangeburg, SC. South Carolina State University records an NCAA APR of 943, with a Graduation Success Rate of 68%. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $33,813, against $33,813 in expenses. The school awards about $5,529 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.