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2023 Top Plains States Region Men's D3 Football Schools

25 Colleges
$42,868 Avg Tuition & Fees*
62% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

When pursuing a degree in today's world, student athletes have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Colleges for Division III Men's Football in the Plains States Region ranking.

We analyzed 25 colleges and universities across the Plains States Region to determine which were the best for D3 Men's Football athletes in the Plains States 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.

Find out more about our ranking methodology.

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Top Colleges in the Plains States Region for D3 Men's Football athletes in the Plains States Region

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$792,610 Team Revenue
$60,590 Avg Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Washington University in St Louis the best school for D3 Men’s Football athletes in the Plains States Region working on their bachelor’s degree. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 2,428 bachelor’s degrees in . Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at WUSTL took home $792,610 in revenue. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. WUSTL did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our overall quality list. Read More…

2
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota
#2 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$425,736 Team Revenue
$62,634 Avg Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on our list means Carleton College is a great place for D3 Men’s Football athletes in the Plains States Region working on their bachelor’s degree. Carleton is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 555 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates. Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at Carleton took home $425,736 in revenue. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Carleton also took the #2 spot in our overall quality rankings. Read More…

3
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota
#4 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$583,469 Team Revenue
$62,500 Avg Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Macalester College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Colleges for D3 Men’s Football athletes in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 711 students in . On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Football team at Macalester made $583,469 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Macalester did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our overall quality list. Full Macalester College Sports Report

4
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Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota
#10 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$666,356 Team Revenue
$53,030 Avg Tuition & Fees

Out of the 25 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #4 spot on the list. Saint Peter, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 682 students in . The D3 Men’s Football team at Gustavus Adolphus brought home $666,356 in revenue in a single year. In addition to its great ranking here, Gustavus Adolphus is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

4
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
#8 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$763,441 Team Revenue
$54,650 Avg Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on our list means St Olaf College is a great place for D3 Men’s Football athletes in the Plains States Region working on their bachelor’s degree. St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 969 bachelor’s degrees in . The team at St. Olaf took home $763,441 in revenue and paid out $561,297 in expenses in recent times. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $202,144 in profit. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. On top of its placing in this ranking, St. Olaf also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis. Full St Olaf College Sports Report

6
UST MN crest
University of St Thomas Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$1,785,830 Team Revenue
$50,366 Avg Tuition & Fees

University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. UST MN is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 1,722 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Football team at UST MN made $1,785,830 in revenue. UST MN excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list. Full University of St Thomas Minnesota Sports Report

7
Concordia College Moorhead crest
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota
#16 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$510,717 Team Revenue
$28,916 Avg Tuition & Fees

Concordia College at Moorhead landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 453 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . The D3 Men’s Football team at Concordia College Moorhead brought home $510,717 in revenue in a single year. In addition to its great ranking here, Concordia College Moorhead is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

8
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Luther College
Decorah, Iowa
#18 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$554,140 Team Revenue
$48,160 Avg Tuition & Fees

Luther College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 499 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates. Luther brought in $554,140 while tallying up $490,441 in expenses for its D3 Men’s Football team. Thus, the team actually made $63,699, which isn’t bad at all. Luther excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

9
Cornell College crest
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa
#23 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$469,030 Team Revenue
$49,158 Avg Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Cornell College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Cornell College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Mount Vernon, Iowa that handed out 279 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Men’s Football team at Cornell College brought home $469,030 in revenue in a single year. Cornell College also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Full Cornell College Sports Report

10
Central crest
Central College
Pella, Iowa
#24 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$628,326 Team Revenue
$19,800 Avg Tuition & Fees

Central College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pella, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 259 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Men’s Football team at Central brought home $628,326 in revenue in a single year. On top of its placing in this ranking, Central also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis. Read More…

11
Bethel University Minnesota crest
Bethel University Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Top 15% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$501,861 Team Revenue
$41,270 Avg Tuition & Fees

Bethel University Minnesota ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 737 students in . On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Football team at Bethel University Minnesota made $501,861 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, Bethel University Minnesota is in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list. Full Bethel University Minnesota Sports Report

12
Top 20% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$484,672 Team Revenue
$39,410 Avg Tuition & Fees

The College of Saint Scholastica did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 761 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Football team at St. Scholastica made $484,672 in revenue. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, St. Scholastica also is in the top 20% of our overall quality ranking. Full The College of Saint Scholastica Sports Report

13
Coe crest
Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Top 20% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$393,485 Team Revenue
$50,664 Avg Tuition & Fees

Coe College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 434 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Men’s Football team at Coe brought home $393,485 in revenue in a single year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. In addition to its great ranking here, Coe is in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list. Full Coe College Sports Report

14
Simpson College crest
Simpson College
Indianola, Iowa
Top 25% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$552,898 Team Revenue
$45,108 Avg Tuition & Fees

Simpson College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Indianola, Iowa, and it awarded 388 bachelor’s degrees in . Simpson College brought in $552,898 while tallying up $501,961 in expenses for its D3 Men’s Football team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $50,937. Full Simpson College Sports Report

15
Top 25% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$344,559 Team Revenue
$16,250 Avg Tuition & Fees

University of Minnesota - Morris came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. UMN Morris is a public institution located in Morris, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 349 bachelor’s degrees in . Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at UMN Morris took home $344,559 in revenue. Full University of Minnesota - Morris Sports Report

16
Wartburg crest
Wartburg College
Waverly, Iowa

Wartburg College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Waverly, Iowa, and it awarded 398 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Football team at Wartburg made $426,823 in revenue. Read full sports report on Wartburg College

17

With a ranking of #17, Nebraska Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. NWU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 467 bachelor’s degrees in . NWU brought in $328,280 while tallying up $279,705 in expenses for its D3 Men’s Football team. That boils down to a yearly profit of $48,575 for the sports team. Read full sports report on Nebraska Wesleyan University

18
Loras crest
Loras College
Dubuque, Iowa

Loras College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Loras is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dubuque, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 362 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Men’s Football team at Loras brought home $563,428 in revenue in a single year. Full Loras College Sports Report

19
Hamline crest
Hamline University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Hamline University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 494 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at Hamline took home $373,743 in revenue. Read More…

20
Augsburg crest
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Augsburg University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region list. Augsburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 572 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Men’s Football team at Augsburg brought home $566,830 in revenue in a single year. Read More…

21

University of Northwestern - St Paul did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. University of Northwestern - St Paul is a small private not-for-profit school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 707 bachelor’s degrees in . Northwestern brought in $278,643 while tallying up $274,074 in expenses for its D3 Men’s Football team. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $4,569 in profit. Read full sports report on University of Northwestern - St Paul

22

With a ranking of #22, Westminster College Missouri did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Fulton, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 152 students in . On the financial side of things, the D3 Men’s Football team at Westminster Fulton made $296,216 in revenue. Read full sports report on Westminster College Missouri

23
BVU crest
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa

Buena Vista University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Storm Lake, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 527 bachelor’s degrees in . The team at BVU took home $438,645 in revenue and paid out $426,047 in expenses in recent times. That boils down to a yearly profit of $12,598 for the sports team. Read More…

24
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Crown College
Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota

Crown College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 182 students in . Speaking financially, the D3 Men’s Football team at Crown took home $303,924 in revenue. Read More…

25
UD crest
University of Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa

University of Dubuque landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Men’s Football in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Dubuque is a small private not-for-profit school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 412 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Men’s Football team at UD made $635,813 in revenue, while incurring $633,062 in expenses. Thus, the team actually made $2,751, which isn’t bad at all. Read More…

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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

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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