by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 18 programs for Men’s Tennis by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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 Vanderbilt University this year for Men's Tennis. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $120,803, with expenses of about $120,803 per participant. The school awards about $42,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rhodes College landed the #2 spot for Men's Tennis. This private not-for-profit school is set in Memphis, TN. The program generates about $9,147 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,147 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Belmont University is one of the top schools for Men's Tennis, at #3. Based in Nashville, TN, Belmont University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Team revenue averages $74,639 per participant, against $74,639 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,742 per athlete.
Lipscomb University is one of the top schools for Men's Tennis, at #4. Located in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $47,052 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $47,052 per participant. The school awards about $18,176 in athletic aid per athlete.
Middle Tennessee State University landed the #5 spot for Men's Tennis. Middle Tennessee State University is a public school based in Murfreesboro, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $87,324 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $87,324 per participant. The school awards about $20,110 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Memphis came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Memphis, TN, University of Memphis is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $68,962, with expenses of about $68,962 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,106.
Lee University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Tennis. Based in Cleveland, TN, Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $22,155 in revenue per athlete, against $22,155 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,272 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Tennis. Based in Chattanooga, TN, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. The program generates about $26,940 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $26,940 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,025 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Tennis. Located in Knoxville, TN, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 964, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Team revenue averages $3,831 per participant, against $176,897 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $29,054 per athlete.
Tennessee Technological University landed the #10 spot this year. This public school is set in Cookeville, TN. Tennessee Technological University records an NCAA APR of 979, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $31,979 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $31,979 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,453.
East Tennessee State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Tennis. This public school is set in Johnson City, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 86%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,402, against $36,402 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,444.
Tennessee State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Nashville, TN, Tennessee State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 78%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Team revenue averages $36,270 per participant, with expenses of about $36,270 per participant. The school awards about $13,651 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christian Brothers University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Memphis, TN, Christian Brothers University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $12,813 per participant, against $8,734 in expenses. The school awards about $3,833 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lincoln Memorial University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Harrogate, TN, Lincoln Memorial University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,030, with expenses of about $11,069 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,449.
Austin Peay State University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Tennis. Located in Clarksville, TN, Austin Peay State University is a public institution. Austin Peay State University records an NCAA APR of 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Team revenue averages $21,461 per participant, compared with $21,461 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,483 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carson-Newman University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Located in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $24,616 in revenue per athlete, compared with $24,365 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,904.
Tusculum University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Greeneville, TN, Tusculum University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,041, against $15,045 in expenses. The school awards about $6,457 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.