by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 20 schools for Men’s Football by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Our analysis found University of Virginia-Main Campus to be the best college for Men's Football in Virginia. Based in Charlottesville, VA, University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 976, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Team revenue averages $405,055 per participant, with expenses of about $264,660 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,976.
University of Richmond came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit school based in University of Richmond, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 980, alongside a GSR of 96%. About 76% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $96,138, against $96,138 in expenses. The school awards about $27,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
Washington and Lee University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lexington, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,858, compared with $7,699 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is one of the top schools for Men's Football, at #4. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public school based in Blacksburg, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 980, alongside a GSR of 85%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Team revenue averages $643,030 per participant, against $304,871 in expenses. The school awards about $29,706 in athletic aid per athlete.
James Madison University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. James Madison University is a public school based in Harrisonburg, VA. James Madison University records an NCAA APR of 981, alongside a GSR of 79%. About 66% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $139,372 per participant, against $139,372 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,945 per athlete.
Liberty University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lynchburg, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 980, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. The program generates about $196,278 in revenue per athlete, against $196,278 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,589 per athlete.
Christopher Newport University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Located in Newport News, VA, Christopher Newport University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,920, against $6,920 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
William & Mary did well this year, earning the #8 position. This public school is set in Williamsburg, VA. William & Mary records an NCAA APR of 979, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. About 84% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $52,054, against $85,386 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Ashland, VA, Randolph-Macon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,068 per participant, against $5,734 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Old Dominion University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Located in Norfolk, VA, Old Dominion University is a public institution. Old Dominion University records an NCAA APR of 980, and a 79% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 61%. The program generates about $127,477 in revenue per athlete, against $127,477 in expenses. The school awards about $24,728 in athletic aid per athlete.
Shenandoah University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Winchester, VA, Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,943 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,943 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Virginia Military Institute came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Lexington, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 932, alongside a GSR of 84%. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. Team revenue averages $51,377 per participant, compared with $51,377 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,028 per athlete.
Emory & Henry University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Emory & Henry University is a private not-for-profit school based in Emory, VA. Team revenue averages $15,789 per participant, against $15,789 in expenses. The school awards about $5,871 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hampton University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hampton, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 931, with a Graduation Success Rate of 79%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $68,956 in revenue per athlete, compared with $56,990 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,394.
Averett University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Danville, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,389, compared with $3,389 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Virginia Union University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Virginia Union University is a private not-for-profit school based in Richmond, VA. Team revenue averages $16,264 per participant, compared with $14,312 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,465.
Virginia State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Based in Petersburg, VA, Virginia State University is a public institution. The program generates about $13,845 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,845 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,082.
Norfolk State University placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Norfolk, VA, Norfolk State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 924, with a Graduation Success Rate of 70%. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,454, against $49,454 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,545 per athlete.
Southern Virginia University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Southern Virginia University is a private not-for-profit school based in Buena Vista, VA. The program generates about $6,799 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,799 spent per athlete. The school awards about $90 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ferrum College did well this year, earning the #20 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ferrum, VA. The program generates about $5,181 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,181 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.