by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 17 schools for Men’s Football (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
Leading the list is Michigan Technological University, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Houghton, MI, Michigan Technological University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,082, compared with $21,377 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,159 in athletic aid per athlete.
Grand Valley State University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division II). Grand Valley State University is a public school based in Allendale, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,310, compared with $23,475 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,088 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwood University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division II), at #3. Located in Midland, MI, Northwood University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,788 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,788 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,948.
Northern Michigan University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Northern Michigan University is a public school based in Marquette, MI. Team revenue averages $27,356 per participant, against $27,028 in expenses. The school awards about $9,323 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Indianapolis is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division II), at #5. University of Indianapolis is a private not-for-profit school based in Indianapolis, IN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,345, against $20,345 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,002 per athlete.
Ashland University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Ashland, OH, Ashland University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,633, against $16,633 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,808 per athlete.
Walsh University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Located in North Canton, OH, Walsh University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,135 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,419 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,087.
McKendree University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. McKendree University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lebanon, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,844, with expenses of about $13,844 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,695.
Davenport University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Davenport University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,786 in revenue per athlete, against $16,786 in expenses. The school awards about $6,850 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ferris State University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Big Rapids, MI, Ferris State University is a public institution. The program generates about $21,828 in revenue per athlete, against $21,828 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,572.
Saginaw Valley State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). This public school is set in University Center, MI. The program generates about $14,459 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,459 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,118 per athlete.
Roosevelt University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Chicago, IL, Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $22,729 per participant, compared with $22,729 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,633.
Quincy University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Quincy, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,616, compared with $13,339 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,507 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tiffin University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tiffin, OH. Team revenue averages $13,351 per participant, with expenses of about $13,351 per participant. The school awards about $4,785 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio Dominican University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Columbus, OH, Ohio Dominican University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,490 in revenue per athlete, against $10,078 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,323.
Lake Erie College placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Painesville, OH, Lake Erie College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,998, against $9,998 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,781 per athlete.
Central State University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Wilberforce, OH, Central State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,469, compared with $10,469 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,799 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
See our data sources and methodologies.