by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 17 colleges for Men’s Wrestling (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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North Carolina State University at Raleigh earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Wrestling (Division I). This public school is set in Raleigh, NC. North Carolina State University at Raleigh records an NCAA APR of 989, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 76%. The program generates about $31,967 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $59,048 per participant. The school awards about $18,384 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Charlottesville, VA, University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 979, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 90%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,775, compared with $46,775 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $26,976 per athlete.
Duke University is one of the top schools for Men's Wrestling (Division I), at #3. Duke University is a private not-for-profit school based in Durham, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. Team revenue averages $4,836 per participant, against $39,023 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $34,321.
West Virginia University is one of the top schools for Men's Wrestling (Division I), at #4. This public school is set in Morgantown, WV. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. About 32% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $25,741 in revenue per athlete, compared with $25,741 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,705 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division I). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public school based in Chapel Hill, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 964, alongside a GSR of 78%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $33,789, against $54,489 in expenses. The school awards about $17,771 in athletic aid per athlete.
Campbell University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Buies Creek, NC, Campbell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, alongside a GSR of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,762, with expenses of about $24,762 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,433 per athlete.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina landed the #7 spot this year. Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public school based in Charleston, SC. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 73%. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,549, compared with $21,710 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,439 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davidson College landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Davidson, NC, Davidson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. The program generates about $16,571 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $23,140 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,830.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public institution. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University records an NCAA APR of 953, alongside a GSR of 81%. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. Team revenue averages $16,518 per participant, against $68,989 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,706.
George Mason University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division I). George Mason University is a public school based in Fairfax, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 59%. The federal graduation rate stands at 33%. Team revenue averages $35,075 per participant, compared with $35,075 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,956 per athlete.
Appalachian State University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Boone, NC, Appalachian State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 978, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. The program generates about $28,273 in revenue per athlete, against $28,273 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,299 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Chattanooga, TN, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 978, alongside a GSR of 83%. About 63% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $33,197 per participant, with expenses of about $33,197 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,025 per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Boiling Springs, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $16,924 per participant, against $16,924 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,936.
Virginia Military Institute ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Wrestling (Division I). Based in Lexington, VA, Virginia Military Institute is a public institution. Virginia Military Institute records an NCAA APR of 958, alongside a GSR of 60%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. The program generates about $24,317 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,317 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,028.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Little Rock, AR, University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public institution. University of Arkansas at Little Rock records an NCAA APR of 961, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,473, with expenses of about $20,473 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,309 per athlete.
Presbyterian College did well this year, earning the #16 position. Located in Clinton, SC, Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Presbyterian College records an NCAA APR of 963. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,937, with expenses of about $15,937 per participant. The school awards about $11,454 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bellarmine University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Louisville, KY, Bellarmine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, and a 47% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 47%. Team revenue averages $11,500 per participant, with expenses of about $11,500 per participant. Athletic aid averages $10,105 per athlete.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.