by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 15 programs for Men’s Football (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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:
Leading the list is Oklahoma Baptist University, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Shawnee, OK, Oklahoma Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $19,088 per participant, compared with $17,950 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,273 per athlete.
West Texas A & M University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Canyon, TX, West Texas A & M University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,673, compared with $15,673 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,800 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southern Nazarene University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bethany, OK. The program generates about $10,186 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,362 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,122 per athlete.
The University of Texas Permian Basin came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division II). This public school is set in Odessa, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,899, against $20,341 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,982 per athlete.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville earned the #5 place for student athletes. Texas A&M University-Kingsville is a public school based in Kingsville, TX. The program generates about $19,105 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,365 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,790 per athlete.
Western New Mexico University landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Silver City, NM, Western New Mexico University is a public institution. The program generates about $17,251 in revenue per athlete, against $17,233 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,177 per athlete.
University of Central Oklahoma placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). This public school is set in Edmond, OK. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,310, with expenses of about $14,461 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,477.
Northeastern State University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Tahlequah, OK, Northeastern State University is a public institution. The program generates about $15,266 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,266 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,449 in athletic aid per athlete.
Angelo State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Located in San Angelo, TX, Angelo State University is a public institution. The program generates about $14,204 in revenue per athlete, against $13,961 in expenses. The school awards about $5,881 in athletic aid per athlete.
Midwestern State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Wichita Falls, TX, Midwestern State University is a public institution. The program generates about $10,758 in revenue per athlete, against $10,758 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,772.
New Mexico Highlands University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Las Vegas, NM, New Mexico Highlands University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $15,081 per participant, against $15,081 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,882.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University did well this year, earning the #12 position. This public school is set in Weatherford, OK. Team revenue averages $11,710 per participant, with expenses of about $11,710 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,204.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II). Located in Durant, OK, Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public institution. The program generates about $11,552 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,552 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,833.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Alva, OK, Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $8,316 per participant, with expenses of about $8,807 per participant. The school awards about $2,134 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Central University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Ada, OK, East Central University is a public institution. The program generates about $9,522 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,522 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,432 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
