by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 61 programs for Men’s Football (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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:
Leading the list is University of Chicago, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Chicago, IL, University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,337, with expenses of about $8,337 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Case Western Reserve University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III). Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cleveland, OH. The program generates about $6,069 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,069 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kenyon College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,655 in revenue per athlete, against $6,655 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Denison University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Granville, OH, Denison University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,279 per participant, compared with $7,279 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Oberlin College earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Oberlin, OH. 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.
Calvin University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,157 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,157 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
John Carroll University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in University Heights, OH, John Carroll University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,916 in revenue per athlete, against $7,916 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lawrence University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Appleton, WI, Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,554 per participant, with expenses of about $8,554 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hope College placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Holland, MI, Hope College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,568 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,311 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
North Central College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). North Central College is a private not-for-profit school based in Naperville, IL. The program generates about $11,977 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,696 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kalamazoo College ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Kalamazoo, MI, Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,537 per participant, with expenses of about $5,537 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Terre Haute, IN. Team revenue averages $5,426 per participant, with expenses of about $4,824 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
The College of Wooster came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Wooster, OH, The College of Wooster is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,530 per participant, with expenses of about $7,028 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). This public school is set in La Crosse, WI. The program generates about $7,637 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,537 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Eau Claire, WI. Team revenue averages $7,836 per participant, compared with $7,726 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Bloomington, IL, Illinois Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,525 per participant, with expenses of about $4,525 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
DePauw University did well this year, earning the #17 position. DePauw University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greencastle, IN. The program generates about $5,210 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,210 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ohio Northern University landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Ada, OH, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,899 per participant, compared with $5,899 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elmhurst University did well this year, earning the #19 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Elmhurst, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,591, with expenses of about $7,553 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville landed the #20 spot this year. Located in Platteville, WI, University of Wisconsin-Platteville is a public institution. Team revenue averages $9,387 per participant, against $9,114 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Baldwin Wallace University landed the #21 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Berea, OH. Team revenue averages $5,691 per participant, compared with $5,691 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Whitewater, WI, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is a public institution. The program generates about $6,421 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,138 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Capital University placed #23 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Columbus, OH, Capital University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,477 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,477 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lake Forest College did well this year, earning the #24 position. Based in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,695 per participant, against $4,695 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Beloit College ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Beloit, WI, Beloit College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,122, with expenses of about $6,122 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.