by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 13 programs for Men’s Football (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Gannon University, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Erie, PA. The program generates about $21,270 in revenue per athlete, compared with $21,176 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,313 in athletic aid per athlete.
Seton Hill University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Seton Hill University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greensburg, PA. Team revenue averages $13,963 per participant, with expenses of about $13,963 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,657 per athlete.
Pace University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division II). Located in New York, NY, Pace University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,061 per participant, against $15,176 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,466 per athlete.
Mercyhurst University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Erie, PA. The team's NCAA APR score is 961, with a Graduation Success Rate of 65%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,584, with expenses of about $22,584 per participant. The school awards about $14,194 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in West Chester, PA, West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Team revenue averages $10,889 per participant, against $9,632 in expenses. The school awards about $2,168 in athletic aid per athlete.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Located in Slippery Rock, PA, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,000, against $12,857 in expenses. The school awards about $2,028 in athletic aid per athlete.
Millersville University of Pennsylvania did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Millersville, PA, Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Team revenue averages $12,744 per participant, compared with $12,744 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,830 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chestnut Hill College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Philadelphia, PA. The program generates about $2,087 in revenue per athlete, against $1,972 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,192 per athlete.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Kutztown, PA, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,454, against $12,021 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $1,904 per athlete.
Frostburg State University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Frostburg, MD. The program generates about $8,287 in revenue per athlete, against $8,287 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,617.
Bowie State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Bowie State University is a public school based in Bowie, MD. The program generates about $19,714 in revenue per athlete, against $11,256 in expenses. The school awards about $2,581 in athletic aid per athlete.
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Shippensburg, PA, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,233, compared with $12,525 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $2,132 per athlete.
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #13 spot this year. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a public school based in East Stroudsburg, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,570, against $11,566 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,313 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.