by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 11 programs 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:
Tulane University of Louisiana earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Football. Based in New Orleans, LA, Tulane University of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit institution. Tulane University of Louisiana records an NCAA APR of 982, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 61%. Team revenue averages $191,989 per participant, compared with $181,409 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $36,413.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #2 spot for Men's Football. Located in Baton Rouge, LA, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, alongside a GSR of 70%. The federal graduation rate stands at 44%. The program generates about $1,022,295 in revenue per athlete, against $441,205 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,802.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Lafayette, LA, University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 962, alongside a GSR of 79%. About 60% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $104,553 per participant, with expenses of about $104,553 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,444.
Louisiana Tech University landed the #4 spot for Men's Football. Located in Ruston, LA, Louisiana Tech University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 934, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Team revenue averages $99,305 per participant, compared with $99,305 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,736 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Louisiana at Monroe came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. University of Louisiana at Monroe is a public school based in Monroe, LA. University of Louisiana at Monroe records an NCAA APR of 937, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Team revenue averages $66,435 per participant, against $66,435 in expenses. The school awards about $12,350 in athletic aid per athlete.
McNeese State University did well this year, earning the #6 position. McNeese State University is a public school based in Lake Charles, LA. McNeese State University records an NCAA APR of 960, and a 66% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,962, against $44,962 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,441 per athlete.
Grambling State University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Grambling, LA, Grambling State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 946, with a Graduation Success Rate of 79%. Its federal graduation rate is 66%. Team revenue averages $32,350 per participant, with expenses of about $32,350 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,778.
Nicholls State University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Thibodaux, LA, Nicholls State University is a public institution. Nicholls State University records an NCAA APR of 943, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 76%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,892, with expenses of about $26,005 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,823.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in Natchitoches, LA. Northwestern State University of Louisiana records an NCAA APR of 931, and a 77% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 59%. The program generates about $37,624 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $27,133 per participant. Athletic aid averages $12,805 per athlete.
Southeastern Louisiana University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Hammond, LA, Southeastern Louisiana University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 932, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 53%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $33,444, against $33,444 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,131 per athlete.
Southern University and A & M College landed the #11 spot this year. This public school is set in Baton Rouge, LA. Southern University and A & M College records an NCAA APR of 930, and a 72% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Team revenue averages $29,072 per participant, against $26,245 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,045.
*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.