by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 7 schools for Men’s Football (Division II) 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:
Michigan Technological University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking 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, against $21,377 in expenses. The school awards about $13,159 in athletic aid per athlete.
Grand Valley State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Allendale, MI, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. The program generates about $27,310 in revenue per athlete, compared with $23,475 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,088.
Northern Michigan University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division II). Northern Michigan University is a public school based in Marquette, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,356, against $27,028 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
Northwood University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Midland, MI, Northwood University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,788, against $17,788 in expenses. The school awards about $7,948 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University landed the #5 spot for Men's Football (Division II). This public school is set in University Center, MI. Team revenue averages $14,459 per participant, compared with $14,459 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,118.
Ferris State University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Ferris State University is a public school based in Big Rapids, MI. The program generates about $21,828 in revenue per athlete, compared with $21,828 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,572 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davenport University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Based 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. Athletic aid averages $6,850 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.