by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 17 programs for Men’s Crew 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Massachusetts Institute of Technology this year for Men's Crew. Based in Cambridge, MA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,438 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $20,438 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Williams College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Crew. Williams College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamstown, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,066, with expenses of about $7,066 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Northeastern University is one of the top schools for Men's Crew, at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Team revenue averages $49,974 per participant, against $49,974 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,558.
Harvard University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Crew. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,991, with expenses of about $20,991 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Boston University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Crew. Based in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $54,666 per participant, against $54,666 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,954.
Yale University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Crew. Based in New Haven, CT, Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,178, compared with $28,178 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tufts University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit school based in Medford, MA. The program generates about $7,423 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,139 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Brown University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Crew. This private not-for-profit school is set in Providence, RI. The program generates about $22,020 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $22,020 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Dartmouth College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Hanover, NH, Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,867, against $17,867 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bates College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Bates College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lewiston, ME. Team revenue averages $6,718 per participant, compared with $6,738 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
College of the Holy Cross came in at #11 in this year's ranking. College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit school based in Worcester, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,421, with expenses of about $11,421 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,801.
Colby College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Crew. Located in Waterville, ME, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,070 in revenue per athlete, against $6,070 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Fairfield University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Crew. Located 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.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Based in Worcester, MA, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,355 per participant, compared with $6,355 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Connecticut College came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Connecticut College is a private not-for-profit school based in New London, CT. The program generates about $10,937 in revenue per athlete, against $10,937 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gordon College placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Crew. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wenham, MA. The program generates about $18,397 in revenue per athlete, against $15,922 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Men's Crew. Based in Buzzards Bay, MA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public institution. Team revenue averages $1,487 per participant, against $1,487 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.