by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 10 colleges for Men’s Soccer (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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best college for Men's Soccer (Division I) in Illinois. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Evanston, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 999, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. About 95% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $25,417 per participant, against $56,925 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $53,919 per athlete.
Loyola University Chicago ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. Loyola University Chicago records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 56% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,004, with expenses of about $45,004 per participant. Athletic aid averages $23,325 per athlete.
Bradley University is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer (Division I), at #3. Based in Peoria, IL, Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 977, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 47%. Team revenue averages $34,982 per participant, against $34,982 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,583 per athlete.
DePaul University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). Based in Chicago, IL, DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution. DePaul University records an NCAA APR of 960, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. The program generates about $43,694 in revenue per athlete, compared with $43,694 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,928 per athlete.
Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot for Men's Soccer (Division I). This public school is set in Dekalb, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. Team revenue averages $33,280 per participant, compared with $32,909 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,138.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public school based in Edwardsville, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 52%. The program generates about $29,895 in revenue per athlete, against $29,895 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,334.
University of Illinois Chicago placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). Based in Chicago, IL, University of Illinois Chicago is a public institution. University of Illinois Chicago records an NCAA APR of 970, with a Graduation Success Rate of 71%. Its federal graduation rate is 59%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $33,875, compared with $33,875 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,167 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Illinois University did well this year, earning the #8 position. This public school is set in Macomb, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 969, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 70% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,229, against $19,229 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,303 per athlete.
Eastern Illinois University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Charleston, IL, Eastern Illinois University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 973, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. Its federal graduation rate is 18%. The program generates about $10,328 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,328 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,653 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chicago State University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Chicago, IL, Chicago State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 955, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $12,644 in revenue per athlete, against $12,644 in expenses. The school awards about $9,877 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.