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Best Colleges For Football
For many college students, Saturdays in Autumn are the apex of the college experience. Nothing beats the fun and camaraderie of making their way to the stadium hours before a game to eat, drink, and play with friends, or the electricity of thousands of fans cheering on the team in a big game, or the pride and excitement of reliving glorious moments in the team’s past. Football has been a part of college experiences for almost 150 years. And while it has little bearing on the educational value of a school, it has tremendous influence in the life of college students and their ongoing allegiance to their alma maters. There is no doubt that for the football fan, football can have an affect on prospective students’ decisions as to which school they want to attend.
With that in mind, College Choice has compiled a list of the 25 best schools for college football. It will be no surprise that the list is filled with schools that have had success on the field in recent and distant history. But there is more to the football culture of a school than just on-field success. In compiling our ranking, we have taken into consideration four major categories: on-field success, alumni success, game-day experience, and culture and influence.
Given football’s long history in university life, success on the field can ebb and flow. To calculate this portion of a school’s score, we considered a school’s overall win-loss record, their history in the Associated Press poll, the number of national championships won during the poll era, and the number of bowls or playoffs they have played in, with bonuses for BCS bowls.
Alumni success was measured largely by taking account of the professional careers of schools’ former players. These players indicate not only the ongoing success of a football program, but they also become sources of pride for current students and alumni of the universities. So in that way they continue to contribute to the culture and experience of the school. To calculate this portion of a school’s score, we considered the number of Heisman winners in a school’s history, the total number of NFL players, the current number of NFL players, the total number of Pro Bowl players, and the total number of Hall of Famers from each school.
On the field success and the success of alumni can be measured pretty objectively by counting players, looking at poll history, and such. Assessing a school’s game-day experience requires a bit more subjectivity. Still, it is true that a student’s experience on the days of games apart from the games themselves has a lot to do with the memories made and the overall impression of the greatness of a football school. Some things like crowd size and the number of times a school has appeared on ESPN Gameday can be counted and scored. But we also wanted to take into consideration things like stadium atmosphere, tailgating, and unique game-day traditions. To those ends we relied on online rankings to compile a composite score for a school’s overall game-day experience.
622COLLEGES
$39,049AVG 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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can – such as our Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking – to help you make that decision.
After analyzing 622 schools in the United States, we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for Men’s Football athletes. 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.
Top Colleges in the U.S. for Men’s Football athletes
#1
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Top 20% in Quality IN THE UNITED STATES
$94,604,899TEAM REVENUE
990ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
The University of Alabama tops this year’s ranking as the best school for Men’s Football athletes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 7,542 students in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at UA made $94,604,899 in revenue, while incurring $69,718,059 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $24,886,840 in profit. The team has a great academic progress rate of 990, signifying that team members care about their grades.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UA also is in the top 20% of our overall quality ranking.
#2
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Top 5% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$122,270,243TEAM REVENUE
$52,997AVG TUITION & FEES
A rank of #2 on our list means University of Michigan – Ann Arbor is a great place for Men’s Football athletes working on their bachelor’s degree. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 7,815 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The Men’s Football team at U-M made $122,270,243 in revenue, while incurring $47,430,574 in expenses. That boils down to a yearly profit of $74,839,669 for the sports team.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great ranking here, U-M is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
#3
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina
Top 10% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$61,378,516TEAM REVENUE
993ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend Clemson University. The school came in at #3 in this year’s ranking. Clemson is a large public school situated in Clemson, South Carolina. It awarded 4,676 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The team at Clemson took home $61,378,516 in revenue and paid out $55,649,888 in expenses in recent times. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $5,728,628. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 993.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Clemson excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
#4
University of Washington – Seattle Campus
Seattle, Washington
Top 10% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$84,041,770TEAM REVENUE
999ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
Out of the 622 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington – Seattle Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. This large public school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 9,269 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at UW Seattle made $84,041,770 in revenue, while incurring $40,474,139 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $43,567,631. The great academic progress rate of 999 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, UW Seattle is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
#5
Ohio State University – Main Campus
Columbus, Ohio
Top 15% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$115,091,304TEAM REVENUE
$32,061AVG TUITION & FEES
Out of the 622 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University – Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 11,596 students in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at Ohio State made $115,091,304 in revenue, while incurring $60,076,743 in expenses. That boils down to a yearly profit of $55,014,561 for the sports team.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Ohio State also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
#6
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Top 10% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$56,257,383TEAM REVENUE
$51,930AVG TUITION & FEES
With a ranking of #6, University of Miami did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Coral Gables, Florida, and it awarded 3,118 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the Men’s Football team at U Miami took home $56,257,383 in revenue.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. U Miami also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
#7
Pennsylvania State University – University Park
University Park, Pennsylvania
Top 10% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$100,133,983TEAM REVENUE
982ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
With a ranking of #7, Pennsylvania State University – University Park did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. University Park, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 10,893 students in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at Penn State University Park made $100,133,983 in revenue, while incurring $48,538,956 in expenses. That boils down to a yearly profit of $51,595,027 for the sports team. The team has a great academic progress rate of 982, signifying that team members care about their grades.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, Penn State University Park also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
#8
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Top 5% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$50,046,008TEAM REVENUE
970ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
University of Southern California ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 5,337 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
USC brought in $50,046,008 while tallying up $32,124,522 in expenses for its Men’s Football team. Thus, the team actually made $17,921,486, which isn’t bad at all. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 970.
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, USC also is in the top 5% of our overall quality ranking.
#9
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
#12 in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$63,246,903TEAM REVENUE
995ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
Northwestern University landed the #9 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. Located in Evanston, Illinois, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,770 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at Northwestern made $63,246,903 in revenue, while incurring $32,136,417 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $31,110,486 in profit. The great academic progress rate of 995 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Northwestern excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 1% of all schools on our overall quality list.
#10
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Top 5% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$89,944,636TEAM REVENUE
986ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
University of Wisconsin – Madison did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #10. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 8,915 students in 2018-2019.
The team at UW – Madison took home $89,944,636 in revenue and paid out $31,714,090 in expenses in recent times. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $58,230,546. The team has a great academic progress rate of 986, signifying that team members care about their grades.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. UW – Madison also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
#11
Stanford University
Stanford, California
#6 in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$44,462,092TEAM REVENUE
990ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
Stanford University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. Located in Stanford, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,892 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The team at Stanford took home $44,462,092 in revenue and paid out $30,470,121 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $13,991,971, which isn’t bad at all. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 990.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Stanford also is in the top 1% of our overall quality ranking.
#12
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
#24 in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$32,108,897TEAM REVENUE
984ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
With a ranking of #12, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 2,280 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at Vanderbilt made $32,108,897 in revenue, while incurring $28,610,632 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $3,498,265 in profit. 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 97%. In addition to its great ranking here, Vanderbilt is in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
#13
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama
Top 15% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$95,157,216TEAM REVENUE
980ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
Auburn University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football list. Auburn is located in Auburn, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 5,370 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The Men’s Football team at Auburn made $95,157,216 in revenue, while incurring $47,846,261 in expenses. That boils down to a yearly profit of $47,310,955 for the sports team. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 980.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Auburn also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
#14
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Top 5% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$84,837,920TEAM REVENUE
973ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
University of Florida came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. This large public school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 9,663 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at UF made $84,837,920 in revenue, while incurring $39,149,664 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $45,688,256. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 973.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
#15
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
Norman, Oklahoma
Top 20% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$94,817,907TEAM REVENUE
$24,444AVG TUITION & FEES
With a ranking of #15, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large public school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 4,805 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at University of Oklahoma made $94,817,907 in revenue, while incurring $43,453,315 in expenses. Thus, the team actually made $51,364,592, which isn’t bad at all.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. University of Oklahoma excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list.
#16
Georgia Institute of Technology – Main Campus
Atlanta, Georgia
Top 5% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$42,553,892TEAM REVENUE
978ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
Georgia Institute of Technology – Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. Georgia Tech is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 3,717 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at Georgia Tech made $42,553,892 in revenue, while incurring $29,744,089 in expenses. That boils down to a yearly profit of $12,809,803 for the sports team. The team members aren’t slouches in the classroom either, since the team academic progress rate is an excellent 978.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in this ranking, Georgia Tech also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
#17
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia
Top 5% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$7,031,345TEAM REVENUE
984ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
University of Richmond came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. URichmond is a small private not-for-profit school situated in University of Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 1,005 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Speaking financially, the Men’s Football team at URichmond took home $7,031,345 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 984 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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.
#18
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
Top 10% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$56,224,912TEAM REVENUE
958ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking, coming in at #18. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 7,156 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
The team at Virginia Tech took home $56,224,912 in revenue and paid out $30,123,282 in expenses in recent times. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $26,101,630. The academic progress rate of the team is 958.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, Virginia Tech also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
#19
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
Top 10% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$68,893,857TEAM REVENUE
942ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
Florida State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. Florida State University is a large public school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 9,688 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at Florida State brought home $68,893,857 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 942.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Florida State also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
#20
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Top 5% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$32,347,820TEAM REVENUE
989ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
With a ranking of #20, Boston College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,062 students in 2018-2019.
The team at Boston College took home $32,347,820 in revenue and paid out $24,855,252 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $7,492,568, which isn’t bad at all. The great academic progress rate of 989 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Boston College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our overall quality list.
#21
The University of Tennessee – Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Top 15% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$91,022,335TEAM REVENUE
967ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
With a ranking of #21, The University of Tennessee – Knoxville did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. UT Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 5,103 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at UT Knoxville made $91,022,335 in revenue, while incurring $35,170,599 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $55,851,736. The academic progress rate of the team is 967.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. UT Knoxville also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
#22
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Top 10% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$123,073,722TEAM REVENUE
969ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
With a ranking of #22, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 8,022 students in 2018-2019.
The team at UGA took home $123,073,722 in revenue and paid out $49,207,808 in expenses in recent times. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $73,865,914 in profit. The academic progress rate of the team is 969.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. UGA excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list.
#23
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Top 15% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$10,649,299TEAM REVENUE
952ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
James Madison University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football list. JMU is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,665 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at JMU made $10,649,299 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 90%. JMU also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
#24
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
Top 15% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$94,336,296TEAM REVENUE
974ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
University of Nebraska – Lincoln landed the #24 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 4,859 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
UNL brought in $94,336,296 while tallying up $34,574,999 in expenses for its Men’s Football team. That boils down to a yearly profit of $59,761,297 for the sports team. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 974.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UNL also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
#25
University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Top 15% in QualityIN THE UNITED STATES
$43,461,696TEAM REVENUE
955ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
University of Colorado Boulder landed the #25 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men’s Football ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is a large public school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 6,744 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The Men’s Football team at CU – Boulder made $43,461,696 in revenue, while incurring $29,642,881 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $13,818,815 in profit. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 955.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great ranking here, CU – Boulder is in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list.
