by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 171 schools for Men’s Football by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual weighs 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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Leading the list is Duke University, our #1 college for Men's Football. Based in Durham, NC, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 87%. Team revenue averages $556,665 per participant, against $391,434 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $34,321.
Wake Forest University landed the #2 spot for Men's Football. This private not-for-profit school is set in Winston-Salem, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, alongside a GSR of 99%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $303,076, with expenses of about $303,076 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $38,933.
Clemson University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. Based in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 996, and a 98% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $634,325, against $592,239 in expenses. The school awards about $21,730 in athletic aid per athlete.
Vanderbilt University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $380,384, compared with $380,384 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $42,235 per athlete.
The University of Alabama earned the #5 place for student athletes. The University of Alabama is a public school based in Tuscaloosa, AL. The University of Alabama records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 98%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,108,524, against $617,441 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,760 per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus landed the #6 spot this year. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA. University of Virginia-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 976, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $405,055 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $264,660 per participant. Athletic aid averages $26,976 per athlete.
Auburn University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Auburn University is a public school based in Auburn, AL. Auburn University records an NCAA APR of 992, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. The program generates about $1,003,378 in revenue per athlete, compared with $485,326 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $28,233 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill records an NCAA APR of 986, alongside a GSR of 89%. About 76% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $514,936 in revenue per athlete, compared with $399,559 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,771 per athlete.
University of Miami ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. University of Miami is a private not-for-profit school based in Coral Gables, FL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $786,333, against $693,842 in expenses. The school awards about $38,474 in athletic aid per athlete.
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Atlanta, GA, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 977, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. The program generates about $587,842 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $355,913 per participant. Athletic aid averages $22,289 per athlete.
Tulane University of Louisiana ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Tulane University of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit school based in New Orleans, LA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 982, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 61%. Team revenue averages $191,989 per participant, compared with $181,409 spent per athlete. The school awards about $36,413 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elon University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Elon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Elon, NC. Elon University records an NCAA APR of 993, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. About 88% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $70,775 in revenue per athlete, against $70,775 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,795.
University of Richmond landed the #13 spot this year. University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit school based in University of Richmond, VA. University of Richmond records an NCAA APR of 980, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. About 76% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $96,138, compared with $96,138 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,609.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Team revenue averages $643,030 per participant, compared with $304,871 spent per athlete. The school awards about $29,706 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mississippi State University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Mississippi State, MS, Mississippi State University is a public institution. Mississippi State University records an NCAA APR of 984, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. The program generates about $341,596 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $341,596 per participant. The school awards about $24,143 in athletic aid per athlete.
Furman University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Furman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greenville, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. The program generates about $67,035 in revenue per athlete, against $67,035 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $28,699 per athlete.
University of Florida landed the #17 spot this year. University of Florida is a public school based in Gainesville, FL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, alongside a GSR of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $865,279, against $395,160 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,180.
University of South Carolina-Columbia landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Columbia, SC, University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 976, alongside a GSR of 96%. About 61% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $642,968 in revenue per athlete, against $469,408 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,645 per athlete.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Raleigh, NC, North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 84%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Team revenue averages $558,053 per participant, with expenses of about $324,283 per participant. The school awards about $18,384 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Louisville landed the #20 spot this year. This public school is set in Louisville, KY. The team's NCAA APR score is 979, alongside a GSR of 95%. About 66% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $275,757, with expenses of about $256,209 per participant. The school awards about $21,083 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Arkansas placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This public school is set in Fayetteville, AR. University of Arkansas records an NCAA APR of 983, alongside a GSR of 84%. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $714,893 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $451,739 per participant. The school awards about $21,062 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Central Florida landed the #22 spot this year. This public school is set in Orlando, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 981, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 52%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $250,714, against $322,459 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,195.
West Virginia University did well this year, earning the #23 position. West Virginia University is a public school based in Morgantown, WV. West Virginia University records an NCAA APR of 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. The program generates about $375,135 in revenue per athlete, compared with $277,564 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,705 per athlete.
Florida State University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Located in Tallahassee, FL, Florida State University is a public institution. Florida State University records an NCAA APR of 993, and a 84% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 54%. The program generates about $673,143 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $671,516 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,364 per athlete.
James Madison University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. James Madison University is a public school based in Harrisonburg, VA. James Madison University records an NCAA APR of 981, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 66%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $139,372, with expenses of about $139,372 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,945 per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.