by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 12 programs for Men’s Wrestling by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Luther College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Wrestling. This private not-for-profit school is set in Decorah, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,584, compared with $17,885 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Northern Iowa earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Cedar Falls, IA. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, alongside a GSR of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 79%. Team revenue averages $31,528 per participant, compared with $31,528 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,720 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Iowa ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling. Located in Iowa City, IA, University of Iowa is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 975, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 84% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $71,763 in revenue per athlete, compared with $103,472 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,176 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cornell College is one of the top schools for Men's Wrestling, at #4. Cornell College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mount Vernon, IA. The program generates about $9,523 in revenue per athlete, against $6,595 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Loras College landed the #5 spot for Men's Wrestling. Based in Dubuque, IA, Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,568, against $7,568 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Iowa State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Wrestling. Located in Ames, IA, Iowa State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, alongside a GSR of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Team revenue averages $11,061 per participant, against $60,714 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,185 per athlete.
Wartburg College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Wrestling. Based in Waverly, IA, Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,946, with expenses of about $5,946 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Simpson College placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Wrestling. This private not-for-profit school is set in Indianola, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,794, compared with $6,981 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Buena Vista University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,800, with expenses of about $8,138 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Upper Iowa University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Fayette, IA, Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,749 in revenue per athlete, against $16,749 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,035 per athlete.
Coe College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,221 per participant, against $7,221 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Dubuque landed the #12 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. Team revenue averages $5,771 per participant, against $5,750 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.