by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 8 programs for Men’s Crew (Division I) 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Boston University, our #1 college for Men's Crew (Division I). Boston University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $54,666, against $54,666 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $27,954 per athlete.
Northeastern University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,974, with expenses of about $49,974 per participant. Athletic aid averages $24,558 per athlete.
Yale University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Crew (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in New Haven, CT. The program generates about $28,178 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $28,178 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Harvard University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Crew (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cambridge, MA. Team revenue averages $20,991 per participant, compared with $20,991 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dartmouth College landed the #5 spot for Men's Crew (Division I). Based in Hanover, NH, Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,867 in revenue per athlete, against $17,867 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Brown University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $22,020 in revenue per athlete, against $22,020 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
College of the Holy Cross did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Worcester, MA, College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,421 per participant, with expenses of about $11,421 per participant. The school awards about $17,801 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fairfield University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Fairfield, CT, Fairfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,521, compared with $4,521 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,587.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.