by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 6 colleges 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Clark Atlanta University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Located in Atlanta, GA, Clark Atlanta University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,710, against $29,674 in expenses. The school awards about $11,630 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of West Georgia earned the #2 place for student athletes. 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. The program generates about $22,736 in revenue per athlete, compared with $22,736 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,051 in athletic aid per athlete.
Valdosta State University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Valdosta, GA, Valdosta State University is a public institution. The program generates about $15,240 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,240 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,542 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fort Valley State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Fort Valley State University is a public school based in Fort Valley, GA. The program generates about $9,789 in revenue per athlete, against $9,789 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,378 per athlete.
Shorter University earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rome, GA. The program generates about $10,417 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,417 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,563.
Savannah State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Located in Savannah, GA, Savannah State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,263, against $4,263 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,151 per athlete.
*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.