by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 15 programs for Men’s Football by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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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Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than Stanford University this year for Men's Football. Based in Stanford, CA, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Stanford University records an NCAA APR of 986, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Team revenue averages $327,200 per participant, against $327,200 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $42,012 per athlete.
University of Southern California ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Based in Los Angeles, CA, University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $638,060, compared with $638,060 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $40,006.
Chapman University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Orange, CA, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,217, with expenses of about $7,217 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of California-Berkeley earned the #4 place for student athletes. University of California-Berkeley is a public school based in Berkeley, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 962, alongside a GSR of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Team revenue averages $532,955 per participant, with expenses of about $389,349 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,267 per athlete.
San Diego State University is one of the top schools for Men's Football, at #5. Based in San Diego, CA, San Diego State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 975, and a 85% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 68%. The program generates about $211,085 in revenue per athlete, compared with $192,017 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,450.
University of San Diego landed the #6 spot this year. University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit school based in San Diego, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 966, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,053, with expenses of about $24,053 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,537 per athlete.
University of California-Los Angeles placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Football. University of California-Los Angeles is a public school based in Los Angeles, CA. University of California-Los Angeles records an NCAA APR of 961, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $456,240 per participant, with expenses of about $456,240 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,306.
California State University-Fresno placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This public school is set in Fresno, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 81%. Its federal graduation rate is 44%. The program generates about $158,109 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $158,109 per participant. The school awards about $15,577 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Davis came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Davis, CA, University of California-Davis is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 967, alongside a GSR of 80%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Team revenue averages $67,242 per participant, compared with $67,242 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,267.
California Lutheran University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Located in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,309 per participant, with expenses of about $4,309 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo came in at #11 in this year's ranking. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a public school based in San Luis Obispo, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 955, and a 84% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 76%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,808, with expenses of about $50,808 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,344.
San Jose State University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in San Jose, CA, San Jose State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 944, and a 72% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $115,903, against $115,903 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,034.
University of Redlands landed the #13 spot this year. University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit school based in Redlands, CA. The program generates about $5,642 in revenue per athlete, against $5,364 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
California State University-Sacramento ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. California State University-Sacramento is a public school based in Sacramento, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 961, alongside a GSR of 72%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. The program generates about $65,329 in revenue per athlete, compared with $65,329 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,560.
University of La Verne did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in La Verne, CA, University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,408, with expenses of about $5,775 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.