by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 199 schools for Men’s Football (Division III) 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Johns Hopkins University, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Baltimore, MD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,704, with expenses of about $11,250 per participant. Athletic aid averages $2,612 per athlete.
Tufts University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Medford, MA, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,467 in revenue per athlete, against $12,195 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Chicago is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division III), at #3. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. The program generates about $8,337 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,337 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bowdoin College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Brunswick, ME, Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,299 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,766 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Amherst College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Amherst College is a private not-for-profit school based in Amherst, MA. The program generates about $13,585 in revenue per athlete, against $13,585 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Washington University in St Louis placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit school based in St. Louis, MO. The program generates about $8,264 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,013 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Colby College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Colby College is a private not-for-profit school based in Waterville, ME. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,259, compared with $12,259 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Carnegie Mellon University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Pittsburgh, PA. Team revenue averages $9,265 per participant, with expenses of about $7,079 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Williams College did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamstown, MA. The program generates about $8,090 in revenue per athlete, against $8,090 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bates College landed the #10 spot this year. Bates College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lewiston, ME. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,676, with expenses of about $12,025 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hamilton College ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,891, compared with $15,891 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Middlebury College did well this year, earning the #12 position. Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit school based in Middlebury, VT. Team revenue averages $8,862 per participant, compared with $8,862 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Washington and Lee University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lexington, VA. The program generates about $7,858 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,699 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,753, with expenses of about $7,890 per participant. The school awards about $53 in athletic aid per athlete.
Macalester College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Macalester College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $8,481 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,644 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Grinnell College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Based in Grinnell, IA, Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,611, against $7,611 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Union College placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Schenectady, NY, Union College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,601 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,971 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,499.
Carleton College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Northfield, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,506, with expenses of about $6,484 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Chapman University placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Orange, CA, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,217 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,217 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rhodes College ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Memphis, TN. The program generates about $10,124 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,124 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit school based in Troy, NY. Team revenue averages $7,089 per participant, with expenses of about $6,938 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,263.
Gettysburg College landed the #22 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Gettysburg, PA. Team revenue averages $7,542 per participant, compared with $7,542 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Case Western Reserve University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cleveland, OH. Team revenue averages $6,069 per participant, with expenses of about $6,069 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Oberlin College came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Based in Oberlin, OH, Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,916 per participant, with expenses of about $15,916 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kenyon College came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Gambier, OH. The program generates about $6,655 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,655 per participant. The school awards about $0 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 list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.