2023 Top Plains States Region Men's Football Schools
71Colleges
$41,545Avg Tuition & Fees*
64%Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
When pursuing a degree in today's world, student athletes have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Colleges for Men's Football in the Plains States Region ranking - to help you make that decision.
Our analysis looked at 71 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for Men's Football athletes in the Plains States Region. Our ranking is based on several objective factors, including the school's overall quality and the athletic competitiveness of the school. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. So, even if a school has a great team, it won't place well if it is also considered a low quality college or university.
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors such as those of importance to online students or returning adults or those who value diversity and value for your money.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
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Top Colleges in the Plains States Region for Men's Football athletes in the Plains States Region
Our analysis found University of Nebraska - Lincoln to be the best school for Men’s Football athletes in the Plains States Region in this year’s ranking. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,494 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Men’s Football team at UNL made $95,852,148 in revenue, while incurring $32,957,500 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $62,894,648 in profit. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 974.
UNL also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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A rank of #2 on our list means University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a great place for Men’s Football athletes in the Plains States Region working on their bachelor’s degree. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In , this school awarded 8,508 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
UMN Twin Cities brought in $72,562,005 while tallying up $38,776,350 in expenses for its Men’s Football team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $33,785,655. The great academic progress rate of 980 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, UMN Twin Cities also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full sports report on University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #3 in this year’s ranking. Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5,533 bachelor’s degrees in .
Iowa brought in $86,241,489 while tallying up $49,230,193 in expenses for its Men’s Football team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $37,011,296. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 971.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, Iowa also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full sports report on University of Iowa
A rank of #4 on our list means Washington University in St Louis is a great place for Men’s Football athletes in the Plains States Region working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,428 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at WUSTL made $792,610 in revenue.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. In addition to its Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, WUSTL is ranked #1 for overall quality in the Plains States Region .
Read full sports report on Washington University in St Louis
The excellent sports programs at Carleton College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for Men’s Football athletes in the Plains States Region. Carleton College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 555 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Carleton made $425,736 in revenue.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. In addition to its Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Carleton is ranked #2 for overall quality in the Plains States Region .
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Macalester College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 711 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the Men’s Football team at Macalester took home $583,469 in revenue.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. Macalester also took the #4 spot in our overall quality rankings.
Full Macalester College Sports Report
St Olaf College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 969 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
St. Olaf brought in $763,441 while tallying up $561,297 in expenses for its Men’s Football team. Thus, the team actually made $202,144, which isn’t bad at all.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, St. Olaf is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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With a ranking of #7, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Gustavus Adolphus is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Peter, Minnesota. It awarded 682 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Gustavus Adolphus made $666,356 in revenue.
In addition to its great ranking here, Gustavus Adolphus is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Gustavus Adolphus College Sports Report
Kansas State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. K -State is a public institution located in Manhattan, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3,938 bachelor’s degrees in .
K -State brought in $50,528,678 while tallying up $23,426,696 in expenses for its Men’s Football team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $27,101,982. The team has a great academic progress rate of 978, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. K -State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Kansas State University
University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 1,722 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at UST MN made $1,785,830 in revenue.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UST MN also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
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Concordia College at Moorhead came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 453 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Concordia College Moorhead made $510,717 in revenue.
Concordia College Moorhead excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Concordia College at Moorhead
Luther College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region list. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 499 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The team at Luther took home $554,140 in revenue and paid out $490,441 in expenses in recent times. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $63,699.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Luther also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
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Cornell College did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. Cornell College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Mount Vernon, Iowa. It awarded 279 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Men’s Football team at Cornell College brought home $469,030 in revenue in a single year.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Cornell College also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Cornell College Sports Report
With a ranking of #14, Central College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Pella, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 259 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Men’s Football team at Central brought home $628,326 in revenue in a single year.
In addition to its great ranking here, Central is in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Central College
Bethel University Minnesota came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 737 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Men’s Football team at Bethel University Minnesota brought home $501,861 in revenue in a single year.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, Bethel University Minnesota also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region list. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 2,382 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at North Dakota State University made $6,137,469 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 986, signifying that team members care about their grades.
North Dakota State University also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Drake University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region list. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 813 students in .
The Men’s Football team at Drake brought home $1,324,637 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 969.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Drake also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
Full Drake University Sports Report
The College of Saint Scholastica ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 761 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the Men’s Football team at St. Scholastica took home $484,672 in revenue.
St. Scholastica also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full The College of Saint Scholastica Sports Report
Coe College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region list. Coe is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 434 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Men’s Football team at Coe brought home $393,485 in revenue in a single year.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. On top of its placing in this ranking, Coe also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #20, Simpson College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Indianola, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 388 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
The team at Simpson College took home $552,898 in revenue and paid out $501,961 in expenses in recent times. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $50,937 in profit.
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University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Morris, Minnesota, the small public school handed out 349 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Men’s Football team at UMN Morris brought home $344,559 in revenue in a single year.
Read full sports report on University of Minnesota - Morris
Wartburg College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Wartburg College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Waverly, Iowa that handed out 398 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Wartburg made $426,823 in revenue.
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Nebraska Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 467 bachelor’s degrees in .
The team at NWU took home $328,280 in revenue and paid out $279,705 in expenses in recent times. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $48,575.
Read full sports report on Nebraska Wesleyan University
Loras College did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Dubuque, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 362 students in .
On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Loras made $563,428 in revenue.
Read full sports report on Loras College
Hamline University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Hamline University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 494 bachelor’s degrees in .
The Men’s Football team at Hamline brought home $373,743 in revenue in a single year.
Read full sports report on Hamline University
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
References
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
The academic progress rate (APR) of each team was made available by the NCAA.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
