by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 20 programs for Men’s Football (Division III) in Plains States 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Washington University in St Louis to be the best college for Men's Football (Division III) in Plains States in the The Plains States Region. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit school based in St. Louis, MO. Team revenue averages $8,264 per participant, against $8,013 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carleton College is one of the top schools for Men's Football (Division III) in Plains States, at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Northfield, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,506, against $6,484 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Macalester College earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $8,481 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,644 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Grinnell College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Football (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grinnell, IA. The program generates about $7,611 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,611 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Olaf College earned the #5 place for student athletes. St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit school based in Northfield, MN. Team revenue averages $6,336 per participant, compared with $6,265 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Luther College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Luther College is a private not-for-profit school based in Decorah, IA. The program generates about $7,010 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,010 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Peter, MN. The program generates about $5,350 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,350 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cornell College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III) in Plains States. Cornell College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mount Vernon, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,520, against $5,188 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Loras College ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Dubuque, IA, Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,782, with expenses of about $5,782 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Martin Luther College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in New Ulm, MN, Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,188 per participant, compared with $5,188 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Northwestern-St Paul placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Football (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $5,706 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,596 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Simpson College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Indianola, IA. Team revenue averages $5,710 per participant, with expenses of about $4,984 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nebraska Wesleyan University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lincoln, NE. Team revenue averages $3,387 per participant, with expenses of about $3,264 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Buena Vista University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit school based in Storm Lake, IA. The program generates about $6,465 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,304 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wartburg College landed the #15 spot this year. Located in Waverly, IA, Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,031, with expenses of about $3,031 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Minnesota-Morris did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Morris, MN, University of Minnesota-Morris is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,330, compared with $4,105 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hamline University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III) in Plains States. Located in Saint Paul, MN, Hamline University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,085, with expenses of about $5,085 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Augsburg University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Football (Division III) in Plains States. Located in Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,968, compared with $4,968 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Dubuque landed the #19 spot this year. Located in Dubuque, IA, University of Dubuque is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,774, against $5,765 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Coe College landed the #20 spot this year. Coe College is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedar Rapids, IA. Team revenue averages $3,673 per participant, compared with $3,673 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.