by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 47 schools for Men’s Football (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Johns Hopkins University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Baltimore, MD. Team revenue averages $11,704 per participant, compared with $11,250 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,612 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carnegie Mellon University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division III), at #2. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,265 per participant, with expenses of about $7,079 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hamilton College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Clinton, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,891, with expenses of about $15,891 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College landed the #4 spot for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. The program generates about $8,753 in revenue per athlete, against $7,890 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53.
Union College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Union College is a private not-for-profit school based in Schenectady, NY. The program generates about $8,601 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,971 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,499 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set 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 #7 spot this year. Based in Gettysburg, PA, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,542 per participant, with expenses of about $7,542 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
The College of New Jersey placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). The College of New Jersey is a public school based in Ewing, NJ. The program generates about $5,109 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,109 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Lawrence University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Canton, NY, St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,086 per participant, against $7,086 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,126.
University of Rochester came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $5,156 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,022 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Muhlenberg College ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Allentown, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,978, against $5,978 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dickinson College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Carlisle, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,578, against $5,460 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rowan University landed the #13 spot this year. This public school is set in Glassboro, NJ. The program generates about $7,427 in revenue per athlete, against $6,950 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hobart William Smith Colleges ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Geneva, NY, Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,191 in revenue per athlete, against $7,191 in expenses. The school awards about $50 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ithaca College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ithaca, NY. Team revenue averages $6,312 per participant, against $6,312 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Moravian University placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Bethlehem, PA, Moravian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,668 per participant, with expenses of about $5,602 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St. John Fisher University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Rochester, NY, St. John Fisher University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,426 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,933 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Susquehanna University placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Selinsgrove, PA, Susquehanna University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,428 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,428 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Vincent College ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Latrobe, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,315, compared with $6,315 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Juniata College is a private not-for-profit school based in Huntingdon, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,064, compared with $6,706 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Allegheny College ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Meadville, PA, Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,299 per participant, against $7,299 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
McDaniel College ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). McDaniel College is a private not-for-profit school based in Westminster, MD. The program generates about $10,918 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,449 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
State University of New York at Cortland did well this year, earning the #23 position. This public school is set in Cortland, NY. The program generates about $6,199 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,199 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ursinus College landed the #24 spot this year. Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Collegeville, PA. The program generates about $4,043 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,043 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wilkes University placed #25 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,893 in revenue per athlete, against $6,893 in expenses. 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
See our data sources and methodologies.
