by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 5 schools for Men’s Soccer (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, our #1 college for Men's Soccer (Division I). University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public school based in Ann Arbor, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 92%. The program generates about $5,544 in revenue per athlete, compared with $73,829 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $28,650 per athlete.
Michigan State University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). This public school is set in East Lansing, MI. Michigan State University records an NCAA APR of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 92%. The program generates about $64,164 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $64,164 per participant. The school awards about $22,500 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Michigan University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). This public school is set in Kalamazoo, MI. Western Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 993, alongside a GSR of 87%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. Team revenue averages $30,350 per participant, with expenses of about $30,350 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,248.
University of Detroit Mercy is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer (Division I), at #4. University of Detroit Mercy is a private not-for-profit school based in Detroit, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 970, alongside a GSR of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 89%. The program generates about $20,512 in revenue per athlete, compared with $20,512 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,135 per athlete.
Oakland University is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer (Division I), at #5. Based in Rochester Hills, MI, Oakland University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 962, with a Graduation Success Rate of 71%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,278, against $24,278 in expenses. The school awards about $12,959 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.