Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 10 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University this year for Men's Football (Division I). Located in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 980, and a 85% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. The program generates about $643,030 in revenue per athlete, against $304,871 in expenses. The school awards about $29,706 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Charlottesville, VA, University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 976, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. The program generates about $405,055 in revenue per athlete, compared with $264,660 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $26,976 per athlete.
University of Richmond landed the #3 spot for Men's Football (Division I). Located in University of Richmond, VA, University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 980, alongside a GSR of 96%. Its federal graduation rate is 76%. The program generates about $96,138 in revenue per athlete, against $96,138 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $27,609 per athlete.
James Madison University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #4. James Madison University is a public school based in Harrisonburg, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 981, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 66%. The program generates about $139,372 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $139,372 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,945 per athlete.
Liberty University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I), at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lynchburg, VA. Liberty University records an NCAA APR of 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. About 70% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $196,278 per participant, with expenses of about $196,278 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,589.
William & Mary landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Williamsburg, VA, William & Mary is a public institution. William & Mary records an NCAA APR of 979, alongside a GSR of 89%. About 84% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $52,054 per participant, against $85,386 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
Old Dominion University did well this year, earning the #7 position. This public school is set in Norfolk, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 980, alongside a GSR of 79%. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. The program generates about $127,477 in revenue per athlete, against $127,477 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $24,728 per athlete.
Virginia Military Institute ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Lexington, VA, Virginia Military Institute is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 932, and a 84% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. The program generates about $51,377 in revenue per athlete, compared with $51,377 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,028.
Hampton University landed the #9 spot this year. Hampton University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hampton, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 931, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. Team revenue averages $68,956 per participant, compared with $56,990 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $18,394 per athlete.
Norfolk State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I). Based in Norfolk, VA, Norfolk State University is a public institution. Norfolk State University records an NCAA APR of 924, alongside a GSR of 70%. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. Team revenue averages $49,454 per participant, compared with $49,454 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,545 per athlete.
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Notes and References
*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.
