2023 Top Southeast Region Men's D1 Football Schools
46Colleges
$34,991Avg Tuition & Fees*
51%Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
When it comes to choosing a college, student athletes have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 I Men's Football in the Southeast Region ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
After analyzing 46 schools in the Southeast Region , we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for D1 Men's Football athletes in the Southeast Region. Our ranking methodology focuses a number of different objective factors - such as the overall quality of the school, the school's athletic competitiveness, and the amount of athletic aid per student - to make this determination. Having a great sports team is not enough - the school must also focus on academic excellence.
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors such as those of importance to online students or returning adults or those who value diversity and value for your money.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
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Top Colleges in the Southeast Region for D1 Men's Football athletes in the Southeast Region
Our analysis found University of Richmond to be the best school for D1 Men’s Football athletes in the Southeast Region in this year’s ranking. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 924 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at URichmond made $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.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, URichmond also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Full University of Richmond Sports Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Colleges for D1 Men’s Football athletes in the Southeast Region list. JMU is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,688 bachelor’s degrees 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.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. JMU also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Read full sports report on James Madison University
Out of the 46 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Wofford College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 517 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Wofford made $6,155,740 in revenue. 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. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Wofford also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking.
Read full sports report on Wofford College
You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend Samford University. The school came in at #4 in this year’s ranking. Samford is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Birmingham, Alabama. It awarded 930 bachelor’s degrees in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at Samford brought home $6,899,907 in revenue in a single year. 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. In addition to its great ranking here, Samford is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Colleges for D1 Men’s Football athletes in the Southeast Region list. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, the medium-sized public school awarded 2,030 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at William & Mary made $5,974,293 in revenue. 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. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, William & Mary also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Full William & Mary Sports Report
Furman University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Furman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greenville, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 779 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Furman made $7,306,643 in revenue.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Furman also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
Read full sports report on Furman University
With a ranking of #7, Mercer University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Mercer is a private not-for-profit institution located in Macon, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,325 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Mercer made $5,460,753 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 961.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Mercer 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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Elon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #8. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Elon, North Carolina, and it awarded 1,802 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Elon took home $5,936,512 in revenue. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 988.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. On top of its placing in this ranking, Elon 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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Jacksonville State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #9. Jacksonville State University is located in Jacksonville, Alabama and, has a medium-sized student population. In , this school awarded 1,435 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Jacksonville State University took home $5,648,248 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 961.
Full Jacksonville State University Sports Report
With a ranking of #10, The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the fairly large public school handed out 2,039 bachelor’s degrees in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at UT Chattanooga brought home $5,178,176 in revenue in a single year. The academic progress rate of the team is 942.
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Davidson College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Davidson is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davidson, North Carolina. It awarded 556 bachelor’s degrees in .
Davidson brought in $1,881,102 while tallying up $1,822,539 in expenses for its FCS Men’s Football team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $58,563. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 982.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Davidson is ranked #4 for overall quality in the Southeast Region .
Full Davidson College Sports Report
Tennessee Technological University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. This medium-sized public school is located in Cookeville, Tennessee, and it awarded 1,970 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Tennessee Tech University took home $3,718,346 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 947.
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North Carolina A & T State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. NC A&T is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 2,049 bachelor’s degrees in .
The team at NC A&T took home $3,830,371 in revenue and paid out $3,083,077 in expenses in recent times. That boils down to a yearly profit of $747,294 for the sports team. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 962.
Read full sports report on North Carolina A & T State University
North Carolina Central University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Durham, North Carolina, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,002 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at North Carolina Central University made $5,246,606 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 947.
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Jacksonville University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. JU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school has a small population, and it awarded 745 bachelor’s degrees in .
JU also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full Jacksonville University Sports Report
Stetson University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #16. Stetson is a small private not-for-profit school situated in DeLand, Florida. It awarded 730 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Stetson took home $2,101,696 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 968.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Stetson also is in the top 20% of our overall quality ranking.
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With a ranking of #17, University of Central Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Central Arkansas is a medium-sized public school located in Conway, Arkansas that handed out 1,733 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at UCA made $3,477,020 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 965.
Read full sports report on University of Central Arkansas
With a ranking of #18, Virginia Military Institute did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Lexington, Virginia, the small public school handed out 394 bachelor’s degrees in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at VMI brought home $4,281,879 in revenue in a single year. The academic progress rate of the team is 962.
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, VMI 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 Virginia Military Institute
Presbyterian College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. Presbyterian College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Clinton, South Carolina that handed out 211 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at PC took home $1,457,099 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 970.
On top of its placing in this ranking, PC also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full sports report on Presbyterian College
The University of Tennessee - Martin came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. UT Martin is a medium-sized public school situated in Martin, Tennessee. It awarded 1,059 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at UT Martin made $3,779,413 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 937.
Read full sports report on The University of Tennessee - Martin
With a ranking of #21, Campbell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Campbell University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Buies Creek, North Carolina that handed out 912 bachelor’s degrees in .
On the financial side of things, the FCS Men’s Football team at Campbell made $5,488,273 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 951.
Read full sports report on Campbell University
Hampton University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Hampton, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 674 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .
The FCS Men’s Football team at Hampton brought home $3,984,814 in revenue in a single year. The academic progress rate of the team is 933.
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Murray State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Murray State is located in Murray, Kentucky and, has a medium-sized student population. In , this school awarded 1,500 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The team at Murray State took home $4,287,140 in revenue and paid out $3,686,063 in expenses in recent times. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $601,077. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 962.
Read full sports report on Murray State University
Gardner - Webb University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region ranking. Gardner - Webb is located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 516 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The FCS Men’s Football team at Gardner - Webb made $5,042,328 in revenue, while incurring $4,173,712 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $868,616 in profit. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 961.
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Liberty University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division I Men’s Football in the Southeast Region list. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 10,025 bachelor’s degrees in .
Speaking financially, the FCS Men’s Football team at Liberty University took home $19,359,283 in revenue. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 957.
Read full sports report on Liberty University
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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%.
