by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 52 programs for Men’s Football (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Harding University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Searcy, AR, Harding University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $21,792 per participant, against $23,766 in expenses. The school awards about $9,216 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of West Florida ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). University of West Florida is a public school based in Pensacola, FL. Team revenue averages $20,958 per participant, with expenses of about $18,328 per participant. The school awards about $7,536 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Arkadelphia, AR. The program generates about $21,851 in revenue per athlete, against $21,871 in expenses. The school awards about $6,935 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Greenville University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division II), at #4. Based in Tigerville, SC, North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,020 per participant, against $12,108 in expenses. The school awards about $15,158 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kentucky Wesleyan College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Owensboro, KY, Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,441 per participant, with expenses of about $15,997 per participant. The school awards about $8,522 in athletic aid per athlete.
Catawba College landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Salisbury, NC, Catawba College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,562, with expenses of about $14,062 per participant. The school awards about $9,164 in athletic aid per athlete.
Clark Atlanta University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Located in Atlanta, GA, Clark Atlanta University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $29,710 in revenue per athlete, compared with $29,674 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,630 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lenoir-Rhyne University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Hickory, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,231, compared with $15,231 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,094 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emory & Henry University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Emory, VA, Emory & Henry University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,789 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,789 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,871 in athletic aid per athlete.
Winston-Salem State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). This public school is set in Winston-Salem, NC. Team revenue averages $18,500 per participant, against $18,500 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,441.
West Liberty University did well this year, earning the #11 position. This public school is set in West Liberty, WV. The program generates about $16,402 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,402 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,841.
University of West Georgia placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Located in Carrollton, GA, University of West Georgia is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 922, alongside a GSR of 50%. About 41% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,736, with expenses of about $22,736 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,051 per athlete.
Carson-Newman University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jefferson City, TN. The program generates about $15,051 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,065 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,904.
University of West Alabama ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Located in Livingston, AL, University of West Alabama is a public institution. Team revenue averages $22,104 per participant, with expenses of about $21,580 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,323 per athlete.
Tuskegee University placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Tuskegee, AL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,451, with expenses of about $17,451 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,470.
Arkansas Tech University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Located in Russellville, AR, Arkansas Tech University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $12,159 per participant, compared with $12,159 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,208.
Shepherd University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Located in Shepherdstown, WV, Shepherd University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $14,161 per participant, against $14,161 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,796 per athlete.
Barton College placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Wilson, NC, Barton College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,516 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,516 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,654 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wingate University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wingate, NC. The program generates about $11,017 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,717 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,748 per athlete.
Valdosta State University placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Valdosta State University is a public school based in Valdosta, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,240, with expenses of about $15,240 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,542 per athlete.
Fairmont State University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Located in Fairmont, WV, Fairmont State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,086, compared with $12,698 spent per athlete. The school awards about $4,874 in athletic aid per athlete.
Delta State University did well this year, earning the #22 position. Located in Cleveland, MS, Delta State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,552, with expenses of about $13,552 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,421 per athlete.
Wheeling University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Based in Wheeling, WV, Wheeling University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $19,276 in revenue per athlete, compared with $18,430 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,271 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fayetteville State University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). This public school is set in Fayetteville, NC. The program generates about $18,114 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $18,114 per participant. The school awards about $5,674 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mars Hill University placed #25 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Mars Hill, NC, Mars Hill University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $12,672 per participant, compared with $12,672 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,311 in athletic aid per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.