by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 139 schools for Men’s Football (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual evaluates each program using 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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Colorado School of Mines tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Colorado School of Mines is a public school based in Golden, CO. Team revenue averages $21,572 per participant, against $21,572 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,984.
Michigan Technological University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Houghton, MI, Michigan Technological University is a public institution. The program generates about $21,082 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $21,377 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,159 per athlete.
Harding University landed the #3 spot for Men's Football (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Searcy, AR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,792, compared with $23,766 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,216.
Mercyhurst University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Erie, PA, Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 961, with a Graduation Success Rate of 65%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $22,584 in revenue per athlete, against $22,584 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,194.
Gannon University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Erie, PA, Gannon University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $21,270 in revenue per athlete, against $21,176 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,313.
Bentley University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Waltham, MA. Team revenue averages $17,599 per participant, against $16,808 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,029 per athlete.
Grand Valley State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Allendale, MI, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,310, with expenses of about $23,475 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,088.
Ouachita Baptist University landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Arkadelphia, AR, Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,851, against $21,871 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,935 per athlete.
University of Mary did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bismarck, ND. Team revenue averages $19,029 per participant, with expenses of about $19,029 per participant. The school awards about $6,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of West Florida placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). This public school is set in Pensacola, FL. Team revenue averages $20,958 per participant, compared with $18,328 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,536.
University of Minnesota-Duluth came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Duluth, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,551, compared with $23,551 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,671 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of New Haven placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Located in West Haven, CT, University of New Haven is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $19,988 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $19,988 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,566.
Northwood University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Northwood University is a private not-for-profit school based in Midland, MI. The program generates about $17,788 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,788 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,948 per athlete.
University of Indianapolis came in at #14 in this year's ranking. University of Indianapolis is a private not-for-profit school based in Indianapolis, IN. The program generates about $20,345 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $20,345 per participant. The school awards about $9,002 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pace University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Pace University is a private not-for-profit school based in New York, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,061, with expenses of about $15,176 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,466.
Northern Michigan University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Located in Marquette, MI, Northern Michigan University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,356, against $27,028 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
Northwest Missouri State University landed the #17 spot this year. Based in Maryville, MO, Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $24,948 per participant, with expenses of about $24,948 per participant. The school awards about $6,287 in athletic aid per athlete.
William Jewell College came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Located in Liberty, MO, William Jewell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $17,566 per participant, compared with $17,469 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,219 per athlete.
Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public school based in Rolla, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,768, against $14,768 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,772.
Pittsburg State University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Pittsburg State University is a public school based in Pittsburg, KS. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,852, compared with $24,852 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,160 per athlete.
Oklahoma Baptist University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Based in Shawnee, OK, Oklahoma Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,088, with expenses of about $17,950 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,273.
University of Nebraska at Kearney ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Kearney, NE, University of Nebraska at Kearney is a public institution. The program generates about $18,445 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $18,445 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,590.
Central Washington University placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Central Washington University is a public school based in Ellensburg, WA. The program generates about $18,893 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $18,893 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,377 per athlete.
Ashland University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Ashland University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ashland, OH. The program generates about $16,633 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,633 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,808 per athlete.
Seton Hill University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Based in Greensburg, PA, Seton Hill University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,963, against $13,963 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,657 per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.
