by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 21 schools 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:
University of Utah tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football. This public school is set in Salt Lake City, UT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 976, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $761,357 in revenue per athlete, against $328,655 in expenses. The school awards about $29,047 in athletic aid per athlete.
Boise State University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Based in Boise, ID, Boise State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 984, and a 98% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Team revenue averages $476,007 per participant, compared with $220,110 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,790.
University of Colorado Boulder earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Boulder, CO, University of Colorado Boulder is a public institution. University of Colorado Boulder records an NCAA APR of 959, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. The federal graduation rate stands at 62%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $587,341, compared with $362,754 spent per athlete. The school awards about $29,674 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colorado School of Mines came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. This public school is set in Golden, CO. The program generates about $21,572 in revenue per athlete, against $21,572 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,984 per athlete.
University of Wyoming landed the #5 spot for Men's Football. Located in Laramie, WY, University of Wyoming is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 969, alongside a GSR of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 48%. Team revenue averages $142,142 per participant, against $111,897 in expenses. The school awards about $17,612 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Fort Collins, CO, Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public institution. Colorado State University-Fort Collins records an NCAA APR of 962, and a 74% Graduation Success Rate. About 59% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $194,514 per participant, with expenses of about $194,514 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,001 per athlete.
The University of Montana ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Based in Missoula, MT, The University of Montana is a public institution. The University of Montana records an NCAA APR of 984, alongside a GSR of 81%. About 59% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $84,448 in revenue per athlete, compared with $66,343 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,798.
Brigham Young University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Brigham Young University is a private not-for-profit school based in Provo, UT. Brigham Young University records an NCAA APR of 953, with a Graduation Success Rate of 70%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $383,081 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $330,082 per participant. The school awards about $13,191 in athletic aid per athlete.
Montana State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Located in Bozeman, MT, Montana State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 975, alongside a GSR of 72%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $130,496 in revenue per athlete, against $88,911 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,472 per athlete.
University of Idaho placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This public school is set in Moscow, ID. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 964, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $56,831 per participant, with expenses of about $56,831 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,739.
Utah State University landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Logan, UT, Utah State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 936, alongside a GSR of 85%. Its federal graduation rate is 70%. The program generates about $157,364 in revenue per athlete, compared with $157,364 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,542 in athletic aid per athlete.
Weber State University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Located in Ogden, UT, Weber State University is a public institution. Weber State University records an NCAA APR of 966, and a 77% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Team revenue averages $49,408 per participant, compared with $49,408 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,446 per athlete.
Idaho State University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Idaho State University is a public school based in Pocatello, ID. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 956, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 66%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,935, against $49,935 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,538 per athlete.
Western Colorado University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Located in Gunnison, CO, Western Colorado University is a public institution. The program generates about $14,434 in revenue per athlete, against $14,434 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,480 per athlete.
University of Northern Colorado ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. This public school is set in Greeley, CO. University of Northern Colorado records an NCAA APR of 940, alongside a GSR of 80%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. The program generates about $47,516 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $47,516 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,220.
Fort Lewis College ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Located in Durango, CO, Fort Lewis College is a public institution. Team revenue averages $12,615 per participant, compared with $12,369 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,356.
Southern Utah University landed the #17 spot this year. Located in Cedar City, UT, Southern Utah University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 944, alongside a GSR of 75%. Its federal graduation rate is 42%. The program generates about $47,202 in revenue per athlete, against $39,074 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,065 per athlete.
Colorado Mesa University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Colorado Mesa University is a public school based in Grand Junction, CO. The program generates about $10,275 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,536 per participant. The school awards about $4,175 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colorado State University Pueblo came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Pueblo, CO, Colorado State University Pueblo is a public institution. The program generates about $17,658 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,658 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,320 per athlete.
Utah Tech University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Based in Saint George, UT, Utah Tech University is a public institution. Utah Tech University records an NCAA APR of 912, alongside a GSR of 50%. About 30% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $43,398 in revenue per athlete, against $43,398 in expenses. The school awards about $9,796 in athletic aid per athlete.
Adams State University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Alamosa, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,905, with expenses of about $8,905 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,419.
*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.