by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 19 schools for Men’s Football by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
Our analysis found University of Michigan-Ann Arbor to be the best college for Men's Football in Michigan. This public school is set in Ann Arbor, MI. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor records an NCAA APR of 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. About 60% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $1,261,148 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $443,620 per participant. Athletic aid averages $28,650 per athlete.
Michigan Technological University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Michigan Technological University is a public school based in Houghton, MI. The program generates about $21,082 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $21,377 per participant. The school awards about $13,159 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hope College earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Holland, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,568, with expenses of about $6,311 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Michigan State University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution. Michigan State University records an NCAA APR of 967, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 65%. The program generates about $647,770 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $405,276 per participant. Athletic aid averages $22,500 per athlete.
Calvin University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,157, with expenses of about $8,157 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kalamazoo College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit school based in Kalamazoo, MI. Team revenue averages $5,537 per participant, with expenses of about $5,537 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Michigan University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $93,107 in revenue per athlete, against $93,107 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,547 per athlete.
Grand Valley State University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Allendale, MI, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $27,310 per participant, compared with $23,475 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,088 per athlete.
Western Michigan University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Western Michigan University is a public school based in Kalamazoo, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 957, alongside a GSR of 82%. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $100,969 in revenue per athlete, against $100,969 in expenses. The school awards about $19,248 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwood University landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Midland, MI, Northwood University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,788 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,788 per participant. The school awards about $7,948 in athletic aid per athlete.
Central Michigan University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. This public school is set in Mount Pleasant, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 942, alongside a GSR of 81%. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Team revenue averages $95,151 per participant, compared with $95,151 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,123.
Northern Michigan University placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This public school is set in Marquette, MI. Team revenue averages $27,356 per participant, against $27,028 in expenses. The school awards about $9,323 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alma College placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This private not-for-profit school is set in Alma, MI. The program generates about $4,877 in revenue per athlete, against $4,877 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Albion College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Albion College is a private not-for-profit school based in Albion, MI. The program generates about $6,117 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,486 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is a public school based in University Center, MI. The program generates about $14,459 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,459 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,118 per athlete.
Ferris State University placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This public school is set in Big Rapids, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,828, with expenses of about $21,828 per participant. The school awards about $5,572 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davenport University landed the #17 spot this year. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Davenport University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,786, with expenses of about $16,786 per participant. The school awards about $6,850 in athletic aid per athlete.
Adrian College came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Located in Adrian, MI, Adrian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,199 per participant, against $3,199 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
The University of Olivet placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Football. The University of Olivet is a private not-for-profit school based in Olivet, MI. Team revenue averages $4,288 per participant, against $4,288 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*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.