by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 7 programs for Men’s Football (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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 Washington and Lee University, our #1 college for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,858, against $7,699 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Christopher Newport University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Christopher Newport University is a public school based in Newport News, VA. The program generates about $6,920 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,920 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III). Randolph-Macon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ashland, VA. The program generates about $6,068 in revenue per athlete, against $5,734 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Shenandoah University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Winchester, VA. The program generates about $3,943 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,943 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Southern Virginia University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III). Based in Buena Vista, VA, Southern Virginia University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,799, against $6,799 in expenses. The school awards about $90 in athletic aid per athlete.
Averett University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Danville, VA, Averett University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,389, against $3,389 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ferrum College did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ferrum, VA. Team revenue averages $5,181 per participant, against $5,181 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.