by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 9 colleges 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:
Boston University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Soccer (Division I). Boston University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $54,888, compared with $54,888 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $27,954 per athlete.
Boston College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Soccer (Division I). Located in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 977, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $56,881 per participant, with expenses of about $56,881 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,391.
Northeastern University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 70% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,641, compared with $42,641 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,558.
College of the Holy Cross is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer (Division I), at #4. Based in Worcester, MA, College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. College of the Holy Cross records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 82%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,715, with expenses of about $25,715 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,801 per athlete.
Harvard University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Soccer (Division I). Based in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Harvard University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $23,419 in revenue per athlete, compared with $23,419 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Merrimack College placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit school based in North Andover, MA. Merrimack College records an NCAA APR of 982, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. The program generates about $20,585 in revenue per athlete, compared with $20,585 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,394 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Amherst, MA, University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 979, with a Graduation Success Rate of 67%. The federal graduation rate stands at 40%. Team revenue averages $39,920 per participant, against $39,920 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,175.
Stonehill College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Easton, MA, Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 983, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 87%. Team revenue averages $19,210 per participant, against $19,210 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,278 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer (Division I). University of Massachusetts-Lowell is a public school based in Lowell, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 967, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,085, with expenses of about $36,085 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,361.
*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.