by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 5 schools for Men’s Crew (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Columbia University in the City of New York earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Crew (Division I). Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit school based in New York, NY. The program generates about $35,226 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $35,226 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Cornell University is one of the top schools for Men's Crew (Division I), at #2. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ithaca, NY. The program generates about $11,985 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,883 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Syracuse University is one of the top schools for Men's Crew (Division I), at #3. Based in Syracuse, NY, Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $26,114 per participant, against $41,316 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $33,068.
Colgate University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hamilton, NY. Team revenue averages $25,958 per participant, with expenses of about $25,958 per participant. The school awards about $22,658 in athletic aid per athlete.
Marist University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Crew (Division I). Marist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Poughkeepsie, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,420, with expenses of about $7,420 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,661.
*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.