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 programs 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Grinnell College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Football. Based in Grinnell, IA, Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,611 per participant, with expenses of about $7,611 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Iowa State University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This public school is set in Ames, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 95%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $449,959 in revenue per athlete, against $239,536 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,185.
Luther College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Football. This private not-for-profit school is set in Decorah, IA. Team revenue averages $7,010 per participant, against $7,010 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Iowa ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Located in Iowa City, IA, University of Iowa is a public institution. University of Iowa records an NCAA APR of 992, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 53%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $802,979, compared with $388,507 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,176 in athletic aid per athlete.
Drake University is one of the top schools for Men's Football, at #5. Based in Des Moines, IA, Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 982, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,590, with expenses of about $13,590 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,413.
Cornell College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Mount Vernon, IA, Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,520 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,188 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Loras College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Dubuque, IA, Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,782 in revenue per athlete, against $5,782 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Northern Iowa came in at #8 in this year's ranking. University of Northern Iowa is a public school based in Cedar Falls, IA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 965, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. The program generates about $44,541 in revenue per athlete, compared with $44,541 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,720 per athlete.
Wartburg College ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Football. Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit school based in Waverly, IA. Team revenue averages $3,031 per participant, compared with $3,031 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Simpson College placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Simpson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Indianola, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,710, against $4,984 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Buena Vista University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Football. Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit school based in Storm Lake, IA. Team revenue averages $6,465 per participant, with expenses of about $6,304 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Upper Iowa University did well this year, earning the #12 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fayette, IA. The program generates about $13,660 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,357 per participant. The school awards about $6,035 in athletic aid per athlete.
Coe College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Coe College is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedar Rapids, IA. The program generates about $3,673 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,673 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Dubuque came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. Team revenue averages $5,774 per participant, with expenses of about $5,765 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.