117
Colleges
$47,352
Avg Tuition & Fees*
73%
Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
When pursuing a degree in today's world, student athletes have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for Division I Men's Football ranking is part of that endeavor.
After analyzing 117 schools in the United States, we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for D1 Men's Football athletes. To come up with this ranking, we look at a number of factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include the school's overall quality as determined by our Best Colleges ranking and the athletic competitiveness of the school. Thus, in order to rank well, the school must offer a quality education in addition to having a great sports team.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our 2023 rankings named University of Richmond the best school for D1 Men’s Football athletes working on their bachelor’s degree. University of Richmond is a small private not-for-profit school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 924 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at URichmond took home $7,128,073 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 984.
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. On top of its placing in this ranking, URichmond also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full sports report on University of Richmond
A rank of #2 on our list means James Madison University is a great place for D1 Men’s Football athletes working on their bachelor’s degree. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,688 students in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at JMU took home $11,372,433 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 952.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. JMU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on James Madison University
You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend Lehigh University. The school came in at #3 in this year’s ranking. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1,426 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Lehigh made $6,163,858 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 972.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Lehigh excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Lehigh University
A rank of #4 on our list means Villanova University is a great place for D1 Men’s Football athletes working on their bachelor’s degree. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 2,165 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Villanova made $7,619,794 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 983.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Villanova also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Read full sports report on Villanova University
You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend University of Dayton. The school came in at #5 in this year’s ranking. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,118 students in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at UDayton made $167,000 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 945.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. UDayton excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on University of Dayton
University of San Diego ranked #6 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football list. Located in San Diego, California, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 1,688 bachelor’s degrees in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at USD brought home $1,563,603 in revenue in a single year. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 977.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. USD excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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Wofford College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 517 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at Wofford brought home $6,155,740 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 984 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, Wofford is in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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Princeton University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #8. Princeton is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In , this school awarded 1,257 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The FCS Men’s Football team at Princeton brought home $3,627,209 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 982 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Princeton also made our overall quality list, coming in at #1.
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Fordham University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Located in Bronx, New York, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,645 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Fordham U took home $7,833,065 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 985 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Fordham U also is in the top 15% of our overall quality ranking.
Full Fordham University Sports Report
With a ranking of #10, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3,554 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at UPenn took home $2,991,947 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 992 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UPenn also is in the top 1% of our overall quality ranking.
Full University of Pennsylvania Sports Report
Colgate University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Colgate is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hamilton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 943 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Colgate made $7,176,868 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 990, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Colgate also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Full Colgate University Sports Report
Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #12. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,865 students in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Harvard took home $3,626,315 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 982, signifying that team members care about their grades.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Harvard did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Harvard University
Duquesne University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1,554 bachelor’s degrees in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at Duquesne brought home $4,024,032 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 943.
Duquesne also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full Duquesne University Sports Report
Samford University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 930 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Samford took home $6,899,907 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 977, signifying that team members care about their grades.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Samford excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Samford University
University of New Hampshire - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. UNH is located in Durham, New Hampshire and, has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 3,145 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The FCS Men’s Football team at UNH brought home $4,720,120 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 970.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. UNH also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Sports Report
North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football list. North Dakota State University is a fairly large public school situated in Fargo, North Dakota. It awarded 2,382 bachelor’s degrees in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at North Dakota State University brought home $6,137,469 in revenue in a single year. The team has a great academic progress rate of 986, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Sports Report
Drake University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Drake University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 813 bachelor’s degrees in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at Drake brought home $1,324,637 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 969.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Drake also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full sports report on Drake University
William & Mary landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In , this school awarded 2,030 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The FCS Men’s Football team at William & Mary brought home $5,974,293 in revenue in a single year. The great academic progress rate of 979 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, William & Mary is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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Furman University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Furman is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greenville, South Carolina. It awarded 779 bachelor’s degrees in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at Furman brought home $7,306,643 in revenue in a single year.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. In addition to its great ranking here, Furman is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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University of Delaware ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football list. Located in Newark, Delaware, the large public school handed out 4,934 bachelor’s degrees in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at UD made $8,898,716 in revenue, while incurring $7,932,686 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $966,030. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 958.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. UD excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, the large public school handed out 4,987 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo took home $5,757,116 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 983 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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College of the Holy Cross came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 939 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at Holy Cross brought home $7,147,408 in revenue in a single year. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 987.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Holy Cross also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Read full sports report on College of the Holy Cross
Mercer University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Macon, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,325 students in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at Mercer brought home $5,460,753 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 961.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Mercer excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list.
Read full sports report on Mercer University
University of North Dakota landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. University of North Dakota is a fairly large public school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 1,904 bachelor’s degrees in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at UND brought home $5,390,299 in revenue in a single year. The academic progress rate of the team is 962.
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With a ranking of #25, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football ranking. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 1,279 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Dartmouth made $3,820,704 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 992.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. On top of its placing in this ranking, Dartmouth also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 1% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Dartmouth College Sports Report
