by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 14 colleges for Men’s Football by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Leading the list is Clemson University, our #1 college for Men's Football. This public school is set in Clemson, SC. Clemson University records an NCAA APR of 996, and a 98% Graduation Success Rate. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $634,325, compared with $592,239 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,730 per athlete.
Furman University is one of the top schools for Men's Football, at #2. Based in Greenville, SC, Furman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, with a Graduation Success Rate 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 South Carolina-Columbia ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Football. University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public school based in Columbia, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 976, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. Team revenue averages $642,968 per participant, against $469,408 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,645 per athlete.
Wofford College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 970, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. The program generates about $59,479 in revenue per athlete, against $59,479 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,368.
North Greenville University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tigerville, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,020, against $12,108 in expenses. The school awards about $15,158 in athletic aid per athlete.
Coastal Carolina University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Coastal Carolina University is a public school based in Conway, SC. Coastal Carolina University records an NCAA APR of 975, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 51%. The program generates about $138,639 in revenue per athlete, compared with $138,639 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,875 per athlete.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Charleston, SC, Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 958, alongside a GSR of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 65%. The program generates about $68,869 in revenue per athlete, compared with $45,767 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,439.
Erskine College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Erskine College is a private not-for-profit school based in Due West, SC. The program generates about $5,328 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,328 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,924 in athletic aid per athlete.
Charleston Southern University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Charleston, SC, Charleston Southern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 950, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,405, compared with $34,405 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,092 in athletic aid per athlete.
Newberry College did well this year, earning the #10 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Newberry, SC. The program generates about $10,342 in revenue per athlete, against $10,565 in expenses. The school awards about $5,596 in athletic aid per athlete.
Presbyterian College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Clinton, SC, Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 939, and a 69% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 39%. The program generates about $13,158 in revenue per athlete, against $13,158 in expenses. The school awards about $11,454 in athletic aid per athlete.
South Carolina State University placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Football. South Carolina State University is a public school based in Orangeburg, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 943, and a 68% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 53%. The program generates about $33,813 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $33,813 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,529 per athlete.
Benedict College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. This private not-for-profit school is set in Columbia, SC. Team revenue averages $3,615 per participant, against $9,720 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,098 per athlete.
Allen University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in Columbia, SC, Allen University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,829 per participant, with expenses of about $6,829 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,826 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.