by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 7 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 scores each program on 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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Learn more about these schools below:
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. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 76%. The program generates about $31,967 in revenue per athlete, against $59,048 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,384 per athlete.
Duke University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division I). Duke University is a private not-for-profit school based in Durham, NC. Duke University records an NCAA APR of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. Team revenue averages $4,836 per participant, compared with $39,023 spent per athlete. The school awards about $34,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
Campbell University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Campbell University is a private not-for-profit school based in Buies Creek, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $24,762 in revenue per athlete, against $24,762 in expenses. The school awards about $19,433 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davidson College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division I). Davidson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Davidson, NC. Davidson College records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,571, against $23,140 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,830.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the top schools for Men's Wrestling (Division I), at #5. Located in Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 964, with a Graduation Success Rate of 78%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Team revenue averages $33,789 per participant, compared with $54,489 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,771.
Appalachian State University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Boone, NC, Appalachian State University is a public institution. Appalachian State University records an NCAA APR of 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. The program generates about $28,273 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $28,273 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,299 per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Boiling Springs, NC, Gardner-Webb University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 979, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. The program generates about $16,924 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,924 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,936.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.