by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 26 programs for Men’s Football (Division II) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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:
No school ranked higher than University of Mary this year for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. University of Mary is a private not-for-profit school based in Bismarck, ND. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,029, compared with $19,029 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Duluth came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. University of Minnesota-Duluth is a public school based in Duluth, MN. Team revenue averages $23,551 per participant, compared with $23,551 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,671 in athletic aid per athlete.
William Jewell College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Liberty, MO, William Jewell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,566, compared with $17,469 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,219 per athlete.
Northwest Missouri State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Maryville, MO, Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,948, against $24,948 in expenses. The school awards about $6,287 in athletic aid per athlete.
Missouri University of Science and Technology is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States, at #5. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public school based in Rolla, MO. The program generates about $14,768 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,768 per participant. The school awards about $5,772 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pittsburg State University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This public school is set in Pittsburg, KS. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,852, against $24,852 in expenses. The school awards about $5,160 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Sioux Falls did well this year, earning the #7 position. University of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit school based in Sioux Falls, SD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,542, compared with $16,149 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,811 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Nebraska at Kearney placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. This public school is set in Kearney, NE. Team revenue averages $18,445 per participant, with expenses of about $18,445 per participant. The school awards about $4,590 in athletic aid per athlete.
Truman State University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Truman State University is a public school based in Kirksville, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,989, compared with $14,989 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,206 per athlete.
Washburn University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. Washburn University is a public school based in Topeka, KS. Team revenue averages $20,761 per participant, compared with $20,761 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,727 per athlete.
Winona State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Winona, MN, Winona State University is a public institution. The program generates about $14,718 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,718 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,907.
Bemidji State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Bemidji, MN, Bemidji State University is a public institution. The program generates about $14,988 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,988 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,153 per athlete.
Emporia State University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Emporia, KS, Emporia State University is a public institution. The program generates about $18,712 in revenue per athlete, against $18,389 in expenses. The school awards about $4,709 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southwest Baptist University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bolivar, MO. Team revenue averages $15,409 per participant, with expenses of about $15,409 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,015.
University of Central Missouri came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Warrensburg, MO, University of Central Missouri is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,482, with expenses of about $18,482 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,385 per athlete.
Missouri Western State University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Based in Saint Joseph, MO, Missouri Western State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $22,067 per participant, with expenses of about $21,034 per participant. The school awards about $7,151 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fort Hays State University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Hays, KS, Fort Hays State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $17,191 per participant, against $15,942 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,057 per athlete.
Minnesota State University Moorhead ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Moorhead, MN, Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,910, against $12,235 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,722.
Northern State University placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. This public school is set in Aberdeen, SD. Team revenue averages $15,373 per participant, with expenses of about $14,705 per participant. The school awards about $3,884 in athletic aid per athlete.
Upper Iowa University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fayette, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,660, against $13,357 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,035 per athlete.
Missouri Southern State University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. Missouri Southern State University is a public school based in Joplin, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,352, compared with $15,016 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,261.
University of Jamestown did well this year, earning the #22 position. Based in Jamestown, ND, University of Jamestown is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,786, against $10,786 in expenses. The school awards about $5,474 in athletic aid per athlete.
Minot State University did well this year, earning the #23 position. This public school is set in Minot, ND. Team revenue averages $13,838 per participant, compared with $13,838 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,491 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southwest Minnesota State University placed #24 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. Southwest Minnesota State University is a public school based in Marshall, MN. The program generates about $12,384 in revenue per athlete, against $12,384 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,980.
Black Hills State University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Spearfish, SD, Black Hills State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $13,385 per participant, compared with $13,846 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,363 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
