by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 7 programs 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Ohio State University-Main Campus to be the best college for Men's Soccer (Division I) in Ohio. Based in Columbus, OH, Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Ohio State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 65%. Team revenue averages $81,452 per participant, with expenses of about $81,452 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). Based in Bowling Green, OH, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,033, against $28,559 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,840 per athlete.
Xavier University landed the #3 spot for Men's Soccer (Division I). Located in Cincinnati, OH, Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution. Xavier University records an NCAA APR of 969, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,856, with expenses of about $41,009 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,280.
University of Dayton is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer (Division I), at #4. University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit school based in Dayton, OH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 966, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. The program generates about $26,713 in revenue per athlete, against $47,313 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,913 per athlete.
University of Akron Main Campus ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). Based in Akron, OH, University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 973, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 25%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,814, with expenses of about $41,814 per participant. The school awards about $12,189 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cleveland State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer (Division I). Based in Cleveland, OH, Cleveland State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. About 52% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $17,471 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,368 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,645 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wright State University-Main Campus landed the #7 spot this year. Wright State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Dayton, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 980, alongside a GSR of 74%. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. Team revenue averages $17,111 per participant, compared with $17,111 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,387.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.