by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 8 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:
No school ranked higher than Oklahoma Baptist University this year for Men's Football (Division II). Based in Shawnee, OK, Oklahoma Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,088, compared with $17,950 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,273 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Central Oklahoma ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). University of Central Oklahoma is a public school based in Edmond, OK. The program generates about $15,310 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,461 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,477 per athlete.
Southern Nazarene University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division II), at #3. Based in Bethany, OK, Southern Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,186 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,362 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,122 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northeastern State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Northeastern State University is a public school based in Tahlequah, OK. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,266, against $15,266 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,449.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division II), at #5. Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a public school based in Weatherford, OK. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,710, compared with $11,710 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $4,204 per athlete.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University landed the #6 spot this year. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public school based in Durant, OK. The program generates about $11,552 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,552 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,833.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Alva, OK, Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a public institution. The program generates about $8,316 in revenue per athlete, against $8,807 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,134.
East Central University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II). Located in Ada, OK, East Central University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $9,522 per participant, against $9,522 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,432.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.
