by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 13 colleges 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Hamilton College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,891 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,891 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Union College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Schenectady, NY, Union College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,601, with expenses of about $7,971 per participant. The school awards about $2,499 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #3 spot for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Troy, NY, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,089, against $6,938 in expenses. The school awards about $3,263 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Rochester landed the #4 spot for Men's Football (Division III). University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $5,156 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,022 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Lawrence University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division III), at #5. St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit school based in Canton, NY. The program generates about $7,086 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,086 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,126 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ithaca College placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ithaca, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,312, compared with $6,312 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hobart William Smith Colleges placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit school based in Geneva, NY. The program generates about $7,191 in revenue per athlete, against $7,191 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $50 per athlete.
St. John Fisher University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. Team revenue averages $5,426 per participant, compared with $4,933 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
State University of New York at Cortland ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). State University of New York at Cortland is a public school based in Cortland, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,199, compared with $6,199 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Alfred University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Alfred, NY, Alfred University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,213 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,247 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hilbert College ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Hamburg, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,333, against $7,883 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Utica University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Utica, NY, Utica University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,769 per participant, against $4,191 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hartwick College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Oneonta, NY, Hartwick College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,138 per participant, against $4,138 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.