by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 19 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 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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Leading the list is Case Western Reserve University, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Cleveland, OH, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,069 per participant, compared with $6,069 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Denison University earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Granville, OH. The program generates about $7,279 in revenue per athlete, against $7,279 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Kenyon College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Gambier, OH, Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,655, against $6,655 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Oberlin College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Oberlin, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,916, with expenses of about $15,916 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
John Carroll University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division III), at #5. Located in University Heights, OH, John Carroll University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,916, compared with $7,916 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
The College of Wooster came in at #6 in this year's ranking. The College of Wooster is a private not-for-profit school based in Wooster, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,530, compared with $7,028 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ohio Northern University landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Ada, OH, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,899 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,899 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Baldwin Wallace University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Berea, OH, Baldwin Wallace University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,691, against $5,691 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Capital University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Columbus, OH. Team revenue averages $6,477 per participant, with expenses of about $6,477 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Otterbein University landed the #10 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Westerville, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,164, compared with $4,689 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ohio Wesleyan University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Ohio Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Delaware, OH. Team revenue averages $6,791 per participant, compared with $6,791 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Mount Union ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Alliance, OH, University of Mount Union is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,120 per participant, compared with $5,120 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hiram College placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Hiram, OH, Hiram College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,324 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,324 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Marietta College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Marietta, OH, Marietta College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,312 in revenue per athlete, against $3,347 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mount St. Joseph University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Cincinnati, OH, Mount St. Joseph University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,663 per participant, compared with $3,663 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wittenberg University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Springfield, OH, Wittenberg University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,982 per participant, against $3,982 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Muskingum University landed the #17 spot this year. Located in New Concord, OH, Muskingum University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,956 in revenue per athlete, against $4,956 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Heidelberg University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in Tiffin, OH, Heidelberg University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,283 per participant, against $4,283 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bluffton University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Bluffton, OH, Bluffton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,038, against $2,661 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.