by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 16 programs for Men’s Football (Division I) in Plains States 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, alongside a GSR of 87%. The federal graduation rate stands at 59%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $869,454, with expenses of about $388,485 per participant. The school awards about $27,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
Iowa State University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States, at #2. Based in Ames, IA, Iowa State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $449,959, with expenses of about $239,536 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,185 per athlete.
Kansas State University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Manhattan, KS, Kansas State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, alongside a GSR of 94%. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $216,703 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $216,703 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,682 per athlete.
University of Iowa is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States, at #4. This public school is set in Iowa City, IA. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 76%. About 53% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $802,979 in revenue per athlete, against $388,507 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,176.
University of Kansas earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Lawrence, KS, University of Kansas is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $304,161, compared with $282,922 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,506 per athlete.
University of Missouri-Columbia placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States. University of Missouri-Columbia is a public school based in Columbia, MO. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, alongside a GSR of 80%. Its federal graduation rate is 52%. Team revenue averages $436,895 per participant, with expenses of about $404,231 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,637.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, with a Graduation Success Rate of 84%. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. Team revenue averages $788,929 per participant, against $455,320 in expenses. The school awards about $16,793 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Dakota State University-Main Campus ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States. North Dakota State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Fargo, ND. North Dakota State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $64,258 in revenue per athlete, against $64,258 in expenses. The school awards about $8,886 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Dakota did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Grand Forks, ND, University of North Dakota is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, alongside a GSR of 81%. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Team revenue averages $64,656 per participant, with expenses of about $64,656 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,250 per athlete.
Drake University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Des Moines, IA, Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $13,590 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,590 per participant. The school awards about $10,413 in athletic aid per athlete.
South Dakota State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States. This public school is set in Brookings, SD. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $51,936 in revenue per athlete, compared with $51,936 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,424.
University of Northern Iowa placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Cedar Falls, IA, University of Northern Iowa is a public institution. University of Northern Iowa records an NCAA APR of 965, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 70% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,541, with expenses of about $44,541 per participant. The school awards about $8,720 in athletic aid per athlete.
Missouri State University-Springfield came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Springfield, MO, Missouri State University-Springfield is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 942, alongside a GSR of 67%. About 59% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $66,243, compared with $66,243 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,364 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Dakota ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division I) in Plains States. This public school is set in Vermillion, SD. The team's NCAA APR score is 967, alongside a GSR of 76%. About 60% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $49,099 per participant, with expenses of about $49,099 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
Lindenwood University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Charles, MO. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 963, with a Graduation Success Rate of 66%. Its federal graduation rate is 48%. The program generates about $37,884 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $37,884 per participant. The school awards about $13,722 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southeast Missouri State University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Located in Cape Girardeau, MO, Southeast Missouri State University is a public institution. Southeast Missouri State University records an NCAA APR of 963, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. Its federal graduation rate is 51%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,398, with expenses of about $35,398 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,582 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.
