by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 16 colleges for Men’s Football 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:
Lawrence University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Football. Located in Appleton, WI, Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,554, with expenses of about $8,554 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public school based in Eau Claire, WI. The program generates about $7,836 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,726 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in La Crosse, WI, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public institution. Team revenue averages $7,637 per participant, compared with $6,537 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Madison ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 987, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $920,652, with expenses of about $335,274 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,586 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. University of Wisconsin-Platteville is a public school based in Platteville, WI. The program generates about $9,387 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,114 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is a public school based in Whitewater, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,421, against $6,138 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Beloit College placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Beloit College is a private not-for-profit school based in Beloit, WI. Team revenue averages $6,122 per participant, against $6,122 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Carthage College placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Kenosha, WI, Carthage College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,483 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,137 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Concordia University-Wisconsin did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Mequon, WI, Concordia University-Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,213 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,204 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wisconsin Lutheran College placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This private not-for-profit school is set in Milwaukee, WI. The program generates about $4,864 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,864 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-River Falls did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in River Falls, WI, University of Wisconsin-River Falls is a public institution. The program generates about $5,105 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,105 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. This public school is set in Oshkosh, WI. The program generates about $7,081 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,771 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ripon College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Located in Ripon, WI, Ripon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,187, compared with $5,124 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Stevens Point, WI, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is a public institution. The program generates about $5,004 in revenue per athlete, against $4,909 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Stout placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Menomonie, WI, University of Wisconsin-Stout is a public institution. The program generates about $4,747 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,747 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lakeland University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Lakeland University is a private not-for-profit school based in Plymouth, WI. The program generates about $4,818 in revenue per athlete, against $4,769 in expenses. The school awards about $41 in athletic aid 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.