by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 12 schools for Men’s Crew by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual weighs 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:
Leading the list is Colgate University, our #1 college for Men's Crew. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hamilton, NY. The program generates about $25,958 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $25,958 per participant. Athletic aid averages $22,658 per athlete.
Hamilton College landed the #2 spot for Men's Crew. This private not-for-profit school is set in Clinton, NY. The program generates about $10,473 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,473 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the top schools for Men's Crew, at #3. Located in New York, NY, Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $35,226 per participant, compared with $35,226 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Syracuse University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Crew. Based in Syracuse, NY, Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $26,114 in revenue per athlete, compared with $41,316 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $33,068 per athlete.
Cornell University landed the #5 spot for Men's Crew. 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. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Marist University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Marist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,420 per participant, compared with $7,420 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,661.
Union College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Schenectady, NY, Union College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,524 per participant, with expenses of about $3,479 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,499.
Skidmore College landed the #8 spot this year. Skidmore College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saratoga Springs, NY. The program generates about $5,059 in revenue per athlete, against $5,059 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Lawrence University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Crew. Located in Canton, NY, St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,221, compared with $6,221 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,126 per athlete.
Hobart William Smith Colleges came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit school based in Geneva, NY. The program generates about $10,819 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,819 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $50.
Ithaca College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Ithaca, NY, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,337 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,337 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rochester Institute of Technology ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Crew. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $5,330 in revenue per athlete, against $4,908 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,070.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.