It's not easy to decide which college to attend when there are so many options available for student athletes. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Colleges for Division III Men's Football ranking - to help you make that decision.
Our analysis looked at 221 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for D3 Men's Football athletes. To come up with this ranking, we look at a number of factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include the school's overall quality as determined by our Best Colleges ranking and the athletic competitiveness of the school. Thus, in order to rank well, the school must offer a quality education in addition to having a great sports team.
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors such as those of importance to online students or returning adults or those who value diversity and value for your money.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
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Top Colleges in the U.S. for D3 Men's Football athletes
Our analysis found Johns Hopkins University to be the best school for D3 Men’s Football athletes in this year’s ranking. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,910 bachelor’s degrees in .
Johns Hopkins brought in $855,879 while tallying up $724,607 in expenses for its D3 Men’s Football team. Thus, the team actually made $131,272, which isn’t bad at all.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Johns Hopkins excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Johns Hopkins University Sports Report
The excellent sports programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for D3 Men’s Football athletes. RPI is located in Troy, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In , this school awarded 1,566 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The D3 Men’s Football team at RPI made $885,101 in revenue, while incurring $708,735 in expenses. Thus, the team actually made $176,366, which isn’t bad at all.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, RPI also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Full Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Sports Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Colleges for D3 Men’s Football athletes list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,361 students in .
The D3 Men’s Football team at MIT brought home $292,993 in revenue in a single year.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. MIT not only placed well in this ranking, but it is also #5 on our overall quality list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Colleges for D3 Men’s Football athletes list. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 418 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D3 Men’s Football team at Pomona made $512,411 in revenue, while incurring $448,437 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $63,974 in profit.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Pomona excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 1% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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The excellent sports programs at Amherst College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for D3 Men’s Football athletes. Amherst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 759 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Football team at Amherst made $816,390 in revenue.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. In addition to its great ranking here, Amherst is in the top 1% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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With a ranking of #6, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,425 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Football team at UChicago made $676,204 in revenue.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. In addition to its great ranking here, UChicago is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full University of Chicago Sports Report
Hamilton College did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #7. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Clinton, New York, and it awarded 616 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at Hamilton took home $789,895 in revenue.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. On top of its placing in this ranking, Hamilton also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Washington and Lee University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football list. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 581 students in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at Washington and Lee took home $507,701 in revenue.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Washington and Lee also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Full Washington and Lee University Sports Report
Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #8. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,428 students in .
On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Football team at WUSTL made $792,610 in revenue.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, WUSTL also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
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Carnegie Mellon University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1,971 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D3 Men’s Football team at Carnegie Mellon made $654,242 in revenue, while incurring $576,497 in expenses. That boils down to a yearly profit of $77,745 for the sports team.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Carnegie Mellon excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Carnegie Mellon University Sports Report
Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #11. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Middletown, Connecticut, and it awarded 1,206 bachelor’s degrees in .
The team at Wesleyan U took home $902,892 in revenue and paid out $718,959 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $183,933, which isn’t bad at all.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. On top of its placing in this ranking, Wesleyan U also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #12, Middlebury College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking. Middlebury is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Middlebury, Vermont. It awarded 832 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D3 Men’s Football team at Middlebury brought home $598,816 in revenue in a single year.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Middlebury also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Read full sports report on Middlebury College
Union College New York came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking. Located in Schenectady, New York, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 600 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
The D3 Men’s Football team at Union College made $806,006 in revenue, while incurring $698,256 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $107,750 in profit.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Union College also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
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Colby College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football list. Located in Waterville, Maine, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 734 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at Colby took home $852,876 in revenue.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Colby also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Full Colby College Sports Report
DePauw University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking. DePauw is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greencastle, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 532 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at DePauw took home $636,321 in revenue.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, DePauw also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Read full sports report on DePauw University
Bates College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking. Bates College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Lewiston, Maine that handed out 601 bachelor’s degrees in .
The team at Bates took home $637,177 in revenue and paid out $599,090 in expenses in recent times. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $38,087 in profit.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. On top of its placing in this ranking, Bates also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full sports report on Bates College
Carleton College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football list. Carleton College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 555 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at Carleton took home $425,736 in revenue.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, Carleton is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Carleton College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #18. WPI is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In , this school awarded 1,333 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at WPI took home $624,242 in revenue.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. In addition to its great ranking here, WPI is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Worcester Polytechnic Institute Sports Report
University of Rochester came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking. Rochester, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,090 students in .
The D3 Men’s Football team at University of Rochester brought home $423,287 in revenue in a single year.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. University of Rochester also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
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With a ranking of #20, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 1,915 bachelor’s degrees in .
Tufts brought in $1,003,868 while tallying up $962,949 in expenses for its D3 Men’s Football team. Thus, the team actually made $40,919, which isn’t bad at all.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. In addition to its great ranking here, Tufts is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Tufts University Sports Report
Trinity College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking. Located in Hartford, Connecticut, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 648 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D3 Men’s Football team at Trinity Bantams made $1,139,059 in revenue, while incurring $988,685 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $150,374.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. In addition to its great ranking here, Trinity Bantams is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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With a ranking of #22, Macalester College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 711 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at Macalester took home $583,469 in revenue.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, Macalester also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Gettysburg College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 764 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at Gettysburg took home $401,783 in revenue.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great ranking here, Gettysburg is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Gettysburg College
Dickinson College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking. Dickinson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 640 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D3 Men’s Football team at Dickinson made $353,031 in revenue, while incurring $277,703 in expenses. That boils down to a yearly profit of $75,328 for the sports team.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Dickinson also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Read full sports report on Dickinson College
Kenyon College did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #25. Kenyon is located in Gambier, Ohio and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 566 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at Kenyon took home $414,931 in revenue.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, Kenyon also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Kenyon College Sports Report
Rest of the Top 15% Best Colleges for D3 Men's Football athletes
Not only did these schools make the top 35 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
References
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
The academic progress rate (APR) of each team was made available by the NCAA.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
It's not easy to decide which college to attend when there are so many options available for student athletes. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Colleges for Division III Men's Football ranking - to help you make that decision.
