by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 21 colleges for Men’s Football (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
Our analysis found Washington and Lee University to be the best college for Men's Football (Division III) in the Southeast Region. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lexington, VA. The program generates about $7,858 in revenue per athlete, against $7,699 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rhodes College is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division III), at #2. Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit school based in Memphis, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,124, with expenses of about $10,124 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christopher Newport University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Newport News, VA, Christopher Newport University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,920, against $6,920 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Centre College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Danville, KY, Centre College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,384 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,384 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Berry College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Mount Berry, GA, Berry College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,965 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,465 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Randolph-Macon College placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Ashland, VA, Randolph-Macon College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,068 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,734 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hendrix College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Conway, AR, Hendrix College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,440 per participant, with expenses of about $5,440 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Belhaven University landed the #8 spot this year. Belhaven University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, MS. The program generates about $9,481 in revenue per athlete, against $9,478 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lyon College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Batesville, AR, Lyon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,076, compared with $6,076 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Shenandoah University landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Winchester, VA, Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,943 in revenue per athlete, against $3,943 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Millsaps College placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Millsaps College is a private not-for-profit school based in Jackson, MS. The program generates about $5,201 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,201 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Huntingdon College landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Montgomery, AL, Huntingdon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,752, compared with $5,432 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $1,932.
LaGrange College landed the #13 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lagrange, GA. The program generates about $4,454 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,454 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Averett University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Averett University is a private not-for-profit school based in Danville, VA. The program generates about $3,389 in revenue per athlete, against $3,389 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Guilford College placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Guilford College is a private not-for-profit school based in Greensboro, NC. Team revenue averages $3,232 per participant, with expenses of about $2,962 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Greensboro College landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Greensboro, NC, Greensboro College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,448, with expenses of about $3,448 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Southern Virginia University landed the #17 spot this year. Southern Virginia University is a private not-for-profit school based in Buena Vista, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,799, with expenses of about $6,799 per participant. Athletic aid averages $90 per athlete.
North Carolina Wesleyan University placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). North Carolina Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Rocky Mount, NC. Team revenue averages $3,404 per participant, with expenses of about $3,404 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Methodist University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Based in Fayetteville, NC, Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,291, compared with $4,291 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ferrum College placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Ferrum College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ferrum, VA. Team revenue averages $5,181 per participant, with expenses of about $5,181 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Brevard College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Based in Brevard, NC, Brevard College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,238 per participant, compared with $3,238 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $327.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.