by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 24 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Carnegie Mellon University, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set 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.
Franklin and Marshall College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III). Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lancaster, PA. The program generates about $8,753 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,890 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53.
Gettysburg College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Gettysburg, PA, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,542, against $7,542 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Dickinson 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 Carlisle, PA. The program generates about $4,578 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,460 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Muhlenberg College is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division III), at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in Allentown, PA. The program generates about $5,978 in revenue per athlete, against $5,978 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Moravian University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Bethlehem, PA, Moravian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,668 per participant, against $5,602 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Susquehanna University ranked #7 on our 2026 list 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, compared with $5,428 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Vincent College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Latrobe, PA, Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,315 in revenue per athlete, against $6,315 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Huntingdon, PA. The program generates about $7,064 in revenue per athlete, against $6,706 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Allegheny College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Meadville, PA, Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,299, against $7,299 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ursinus College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Collegeville, PA. Team revenue averages $4,043 per participant, against $4,043 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lebanon Valley College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Annville, PA, Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,000 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,989 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wilkes University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,893 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,893 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Widener University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Widener University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chester, PA. The program generates about $5,592 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,926 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lycoming College came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Lycoming College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamsport, PA. The program generates about $7,322 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,467 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Misericordia University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Dallas, PA, Misericordia University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,925 in revenue per athlete, against $2,850 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alvernia University landed the #17 spot this year. Alvernia University is a private not-for-profit school based in Reading, PA. Team revenue averages $6,060 per participant, compared with $5,911 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Geneva College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Geneva College is a private not-for-profit school based in Beaver Falls, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,037, against $5,037 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Waynesburg University placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Waynesburg University is a private not-for-profit school based in Waynesburg, PA. The program generates about $4,560 in revenue per athlete, against $4,560 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Eastern University landed the #20 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Davids, PA. The program generates about $6,119 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,650 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Delaware Valley University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Doylestown, PA. Team revenue averages $4,599 per participant, against $4,599 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Albright College came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Located in Reading, PA, Albright College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,645, with expenses of about $4,645 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Thiel College ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Greenville, PA, Thiel College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,937 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,937 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Keystone College landed the #24 spot this year. Keystone College is a private not-for-profit school based in La Plume, PA. The program generates about $4,673 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,673 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.