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Best Missouri Valley Conference Men's Football Programs, Ranked by Academic Score
Athletics and academics don't have to be a tradeoff. Below, we've ranked all 12 Missouri Valley Conference men's Football programs by academic score — a composite of retention rate, graduation rate, and long-term earnings that reflects the strength of the underlying school.
The average retention rate across Missouri Valley Conference men's Football programs is 76%, with an average graduation rate of 58%, and median earnings around $53,508.
Use this ranking to find programs at schools with strong academic outcomes, then read our guide on how to compare scholarship offers.
Programs
12
Avg. Retention
76%
Avg. Grad Rate
58%
Avg. Earnings (10YR)
$53,508
Top programs
Showing 12 of 12 programs.
Rank
Program
Retention
Grad Rate
Earnings (10YR)
1
1. Illinois State University
Normal, IL
Retention
81%
Grad Rate
71%
Earnings (10YR)
$62,117
2
2. University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA
Retention
85%
Grad Rate
67%
Earnings (10YR)
$55,177
Retention
77%
Grad Rate
64%
Earnings (10YR)
$62,203
4
4. University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND
Retention
83%
Grad Rate
56%
Earnings (10YR)
$63,552
5
5. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD
Retention
83%
Grad Rate
57%
Earnings (10YR)
$55,070
6
6. University of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD
Retention
80%
Grad Rate
55%
Earnings (10YR)
$51,926
7
7. Missouri State University-Springfield
Springfield, MO
Retention
79%
Grad Rate
60%
Earnings (10YR)
$49,827
8
8. Murray State University
Murray, KY
Retention
76%
Grad Rate
58%
Earnings (10YR)
$44,737
9
9. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL
Retention
69%
Grad Rate
56%
Earnings (10YR)
$53,390
10
10. Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH
Retention
77%
Grad Rate
51%
Earnings (10YR)
$41,544
11
11. Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL
Retention
59%
Grad Rate
57%
Earnings (10YR)
$54,163
12
12. Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN
Retention
69%
Grad Rate
45%
Earnings (10YR)
$48,387
Explore the full directory
Use the full directory to compare the wider field, apply filters, and evaluate programs beyond the top-ranked set on this page.
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