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 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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Our analysis found Vanderbilt University to be the best college for Men's Football in Tennessee. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. Team revenue averages $380,384 per participant, against $380,384 in expenses. The school awards about $42,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public school based in Knoxville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 977, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 49%. Team revenue averages $1,321,460 per participant, with expenses of about $497,890 per participant. The school awards about $29,054 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Memphis landed the #3 spot for Men's Football. Based in Memphis, TN, University of Memphis is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 974, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $133,495 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $133,495 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,106 per athlete.
Rhodes College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. This private not-for-profit school is set in Memphis, TN. The program generates about $10,124 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,124 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This public school is set in Murfreesboro, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 954, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. Team revenue averages $89,245 per participant, with expenses of about $89,245 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,110.
Tennessee Technological University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Cookeville, TN, Tennessee Technological University is a public institution. Tennessee Technological University records an NCAA APR of 968, alongside a GSR of 78%. About 53% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $51,772 per participant, against $51,772 in expenses. The school awards about $14,453 in athletic aid per athlete.
Austin Peay State University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This public school is set in Clarksville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 965, alongside a GSR of 85%. About 53% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $50,872 in revenue per athlete, against $50,872 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,483.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Chattanooga, TN, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 970, with a Graduation Success Rate of 70%. Its federal graduation rate is 43%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,931, compared with $55,931 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,025.
Carson-Newman University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,051 per participant, against $14,065 in expenses. The school awards about $10,904 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Tennessee State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. This public school is set in Johnson City, TN. East Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 947, alongside a GSR of 76%. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. The program generates about $47,111 in revenue per athlete, compared with $47,111 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,444.
Tennessee State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Based in Nashville, TN, Tennessee State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 930, and a 70% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 53%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $63,431, compared with $63,431 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,651 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Martin placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Martin, TN, The University of Tennessee-Martin is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 935, alongside a GSR of 67%. Its federal graduation rate is 40%. Team revenue averages $33,930 per participant, with expenses of about $34,325 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,021 per athlete.
Tusculum University landed the #13 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Greeneville, TN. Team revenue averages $11,394 per participant, compared with $11,385 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,457 per athlete.
Lane College did well this year, earning the #14 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jackson, TN. Team revenue averages $9,521 per participant, with expenses of about $9,521 per participant. The school awards about $3,306 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.