by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 8 programs for Men’s Football (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Austin College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Austin College is a private not-for-profit school based in Sherman, TX. Team revenue averages $7,580 per participant, with expenses of about $7,035 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is a private not-for-profit school based in Belton, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,869, compared with $8,869 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hardin-Simmons University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Abilene, TX, Hardin-Simmons University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,653 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,021 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Texas Lutheran University landed the #4 spot for Men's Football (Division III). Texas Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Seguin, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,826, compared with $4,724 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Texas Baptist University is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division III), at #5. Based in Marshall, TX, East Texas Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,876 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,876 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
McMurry University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III). Located in Abilene, TX, McMurry University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,318 per participant, against $5,318 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Howard Payne University landed the #7 spot this year. Howard Payne University is a private not-for-profit school based in Brownwood, TX. Team revenue averages $6,700 per participant, against $5,768 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sul Ross State University did well this year, earning the #8 position. This public school is set in Alpine, TX. Team revenue averages $5,653 per participant, compared with $5,804 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $891.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.