by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 11 schools for Men’s Football by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
West Virginia University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Football. West Virginia University is a public school based in Morgantown, WV. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $375,135, compared with $277,564 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,705 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Liberty University earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in West Liberty, WV. Team revenue averages $16,402 per participant, with expenses of about $16,402 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,841.
Shepherd University landed the #3 spot for Men's Football. Located in Shepherdstown, WV, Shepherd University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,161, against $14,161 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,796.
Fairmont State University is one of the top schools for Men's Football, at #4. This public school is set in Fairmont, WV. The program generates about $13,086 in revenue per athlete, against $12,698 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,874.
Marshall University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Football. Located in Huntington, WV, Marshall University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 949, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 58%. The program generates about $114,997 in revenue per athlete, compared with $114,997 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,594 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bluefield State University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Bluefield, WV, Bluefield State University is a public institution. The program generates about $17,297 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,297 per participant. The school awards about $5,976 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wheeling University landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wheeling, WV. Team revenue averages $19,276 per participant, compared with $18,430 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,271.
West Virginia Wesleyan College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Buckhannon, WV, West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,802 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,802 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,641 per athlete.
Concord University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Athens, WV, Concord University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $11,287 per participant, against $11,287 in expenses. The school awards about $3,226 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Virginia State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Based in Institute, WV, West Virginia State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,216, with expenses of about $12,022 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,933 per athlete.
Glenville State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. This public school is set in Glenville, WV. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,751, with expenses of about $10,333 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,454 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.