by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 16 schools for Men’s Wrestling (Division II) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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:
Maryville University of Saint Louis tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Saint Louis, MO, Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $24,004 in revenue per athlete, compared with $21,788 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,338 per athlete.
Drury University is one of the top schools for Men's Wrestling (Division II) in Plains States, at #2. Drury University is a private not-for-profit school based in Springfield, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,943, with expenses of about $13,943 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,859.
University of Mary came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Wrestling (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Bismarck, ND, University of Mary is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,735, against $6,735 in expenses. The school awards about $6,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Nebraska at Kearney is one of the top schools for Men's Wrestling (Division II) in Plains States, at #4. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a public school based in Kearney, NE. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,340, with expenses of about $18,340 per participant. The school awards about $4,590 in athletic aid per athlete.
Newman University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Wichita, KS, Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,490 per participant, compared with $15,490 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,192.
University of Sioux Falls ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Wrestling (Division II) in Plains States. University of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit school based in Sioux Falls, SD. Team revenue averages $11,467 per participant, with expenses of about $10,889 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,811.
Northern State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Wrestling (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Aberdeen, SD, Northern State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $21,831 per participant, against $21,110 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,884 per athlete.
Minnesota State University Moorhead did well this year, earning the #8 position. Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public school based in Moorhead, MN. The program generates about $12,002 in revenue per athlete, against $11,267 in expenses. The school awards about $3,722 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Central Missouri came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Warrensburg, MO, University of Central Missouri is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,267, with expenses of about $12,267 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,385 per athlete.
Saint Cloud State University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Saint Cloud, MN, Saint Cloud State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,333, with expenses of about $15,293 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,426.
Fort Hays State University landed the #11 spot this year. Located in Hays, KS, Fort Hays State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,277, against $11,210 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,057.
Upper Iowa University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fayette, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,749, against $16,749 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,035 per athlete.
University of Jamestown placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Jamestown, ND, University of Jamestown is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,281, against $13,281 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,474 per athlete.
Minot State University landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Minot, ND, Minot State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $9,774 per participant, against $9,774 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,491.
Chadron State College came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Chadron, NE. The program generates about $15,778 in revenue per athlete, against $15,778 in expenses. The school awards about $3,283 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Wrestling (Division II) in Plains States. Southwest Minnesota State University is a public school based in Marshall, MN. The program generates about $9,447 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,447 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $2,980 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.