2023 Top Great Lakes Region Men's D3 Basketball Schools
78Colleges
$42,010Avg Tuition & Fees*
62%Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
Student athletes have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Colleges for Division III Men's Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
We analyzed 78 colleges and universities across the Great Lakes Region to determine which were the best for D3 Men's Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region. Our ranking is based on several objective factors, including the school's overall quality and the athletic competitiveness of the school. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. So, even if a school has a great team, it won't place well if it is also considered a low quality college or university.
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as online students or returnings adults.
We've created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don't have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
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Top Colleges in the Great Lakes Region for D3 Men's Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region
Our analysis found Denison University to be the best school for D3 Men’s Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region in this year’s ranking. Denison is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Granville, Ohio. It awarded 685 bachelor’s degrees in .
The D3 Men’s Basketball team at Denison brought home $264,522 in revenue in a single year. The academic progress rate of the team is 950.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. On top of its placing in this ranking, Denison also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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A rank of #2 on our list means Hanover College is a great place for D3 Men’s Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Hanover, Indiana, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 300 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at Hanover made $233,737 in revenue.
Read full sports report on Hanover College
The excellent sports programs at Hope College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for D3 Men’s Basketball athletes in the Great Lakes Region. Hope College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Holland, Michigan that handed out 837 bachelor’s degrees in .
The team at Hope took home $209,727 in revenue and paid out $206,448 in expenses in recent times. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $3,279 in profit.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Hope also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
Full Hope College Sports Report
Out of the 78 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Norbert College landed the #4 spot on the list. Saint Norbert College is a small private not-for-profit school located in De Pere, Wisconsin that handed out 578 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at SNC made $292,026 in revenue.
In addition to its great ranking here, SNC is in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Saint Norbert College
You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #5 in this year’s ranking. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 2,425 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at UChicago made $462,220 in revenue.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. UChicago did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our overall quality list.
Full University of Chicago Sports Report
Ripon College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ripon, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 187 students in .
Ripon brought in $133,514 while tallying up $124,860 in expenses for its D3 Men’s Basketball team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $8,654.
Ripon also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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The College of Wooster did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Wooster College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wooster, Ohio. It awarded 505 bachelor’s degrees in .
The team at Wooster College took home $181,076 in revenue and paid out $164,610 in expenses in recent times. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $16,466 in profit.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Wooster College also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Illinois Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bloomington, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 404 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at Illinois Wesleyan took home $269,715 in revenue.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Illinois Wesleyan also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
Full Illinois Wesleyan University Sports Report
Augustana College did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 755 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at Augustana took home $278,203 in revenue.
In addition to its great ranking here, Augustana is in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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Ohio Wesleyan University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Delaware, Ohio that handed out 406 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at OWU made $197,462 in revenue.
OWU also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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With a ranking of #11, Marietta College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Marietta is located in Marietta, Ohio and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 269 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The team at Marietta took home $344,515 in revenue and paid out $256,712 in expenses in recent times. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $87,803 in profit.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full sports report on Marietta College
With a ranking of #12, John Carroll University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in University Heights, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 859 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at John Carroll took home $187,027 in revenue.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. In addition to its great ranking here, John Carroll is in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full John Carroll University Sports Report
Calvin University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Calvin University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that handed out 858 bachelor’s degrees in .
The team at Calvin took home $318,686 in revenue and paid out $285,094 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $33,592, which isn’t bad at all.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Calvin also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Ohio Northern University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Ada, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 450 students in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at ONU took home $238,844 in revenue.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. On top of its placing in this ranking, ONU also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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DePauw University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Greencastle, Indiana, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 532 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at DePauw made $339,352 in revenue.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. DePauw not only placed well in this ranking, but it is also #5 on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on DePauw University
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 648 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at Wheaton College Illinois made $315,494 in revenue.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great ranking here, Wheaton College Illinois is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Wheaton College Illinois
University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,300 bachelor’s degrees in .
The team at UW - River Falls took home $173,076 in revenue and paid out $151,840 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $21,236, which isn’t bad at all.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Sports Report
With a ranking of #18, Carthage College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Carthage is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 694 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The D3 Men’s Basketball team at Carthage brought home $170,453 in revenue in a single year.
Read full sports report on Carthage College
Lake Forest College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 466 students in .
On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at Lake Forest made $116,230 in revenue.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Lake Forest College Sports Report
North Central College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 653 bachelor’s degrees in .
The team at North Central took home $318,501 in revenue and paid out $282,942 in expenses in recent times. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $35,559.
Full North Central College Sports Report
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 2,315 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
UW - Eau Claire brought in $239,010 while tallying up $223,489 in expenses for its D3 Men’s Basketball team. Thus, the team actually made $15,521, which isn’t bad at all.
Read full sports report on University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Wittenberg University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region list. Wittenberg is located in Springfield, Ohio and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 355 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Wittenberg brought in $304,647 while tallying up $260,439 in expenses for its D3 Men’s Basketball team. That boils down to a yearly profit of $44,208 for the sports team.
Full Wittenberg University Sports Report
With a ranking of #23, Milwaukee School of Engineering did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 563 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
The D3 Men’s Basketball team at MSOE brought home $114,391 in revenue in a single year.
MSOE excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Full Milwaukee School of Engineering Sports Report
With a ranking of #24, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,139 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Basketball team at UW - La Crosse took home $368,659 in revenue.
Read full sports report on University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Basketball in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 2,187 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The team at UW - Whitewater took home $201,352 in revenue and paid out $180,320 in expenses in recent times. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $21,032.
Read full sports report on University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
References
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
The academic progress rate (APR) of each team was made available by the NCAA.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
