University of Georgia grossed $352,349 per athlete in 2016 – the highest of all athletic programs that year, followed by University of Texas at Austin ($346,947 per athlete) and Louisiana State University ($315,988 per athlete), according to a Higher Education Tribune analysis of the latest federal data.
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education compiles athletics data annually from more than 2,000 schools receiving federal financial aid.
Altogether, athletic programs had 569,475 student athletes and grossed more than $18.1 billion in 2016 – or $31,832 per athlete that year.
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Which athletic programs grossed the most revenue per athlete?
| School | State | Division | Total athlete participation | Total revenue | Revenue per athlete | |
| 1 | University of Georgia | GA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 448 | $157,852,479 | $352,349 |
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 597 | $207,127,309 | $346,947 |
| 3 | Louisiana State University | LA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 465 | $146,934,487 | $315,988 |
| 4 | Florida State University | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 486 | $144,692,380 | $297,721 |
| 5 | Auburn University | AL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 504 | $147,413,201 | $292,487 |
| 6 | University of Arkansas | AR | NCAA Division I-FBS | 472 | $132,172,997 | $280,028 |
| 7 | The University of Alabama | AL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 631 | $174,305,613 | $276,237 |
| 8 | University of Florida | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 525 | $142,545,938 | $271,516 |
| 9 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | NCAA Division I-FBS | 572 | $155,209,855 | $271,346 |
| 10 | University of Mississippi | MS | NCAA Division I-FBS | 377 | $101,857,663 | $270,179 |
| 11 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | TN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 522 | $139,659,550 | $267,547 |
| 12 | University of Colorado Boulder | CO | NCAA Division I-FBS | 359 | $94,226,108 | $262,468 |
| 13 | Sterling College | KS | NAIA Division II | 16 | $4,130,153 | $258,135 |
| 14 | University of Kentucky | KY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 496 | $122,307,014 | $246,587 |
| 15 | Mississippi State University | MS | NCAA Division I-FBS | 368 | $89,696,829 | $243,741 |
| 16 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | SC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 567 | $136,032,845 | $239,917 |
| 17 | Columbia College | MO | NAIA Division I | 23 | $5,417,949 | $235,563 |
| 18 | Vanderbilt University | TN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 343 | $80,335,651 | $234,215 |
| 19 | University of Miami | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 389 | $89,135,175 | $229,139 |
| 20 | University of Oregon | OR | NCAA Division I-FBS | 443 | $101,333,119 | $228,743 |
| 21 | Texas A & M University-College Station | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 588 | $130,442,544 | $221,841 |
| 22 | Texas Christian University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 493 | $105,055,587 | $213,094 |
| 23 | Clemson University | SC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 498 | $104,925,252 | $210,693 |
| 24 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 617 | $128,745,183 | $208,663 |
| 25 | University of Kansas | KS | NCAA Division I-FBS | 501 | $101,345,197 | $202,286 |
| 26 | University of Louisville | KY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 611 | $122,445,304 | $200,401 |
| 27 | University of Southern California | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 567 | $113,174,912 | $199,603 |
| 28 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | NE | NCAA Division I-FBS | 602 | $117,743,538 | $195,587 |
| 29 | University of Arizona | AZ | NCAA Division I-FBS | 465 | $88,186,587 | $189,649 |
| 30 | Texas Tech University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 424 | $79,377,076 | $187,210 |
| 31 | University of Notre Dame | IN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 709 | $132,371,404 | $186,702 |
| 32 | University of Iowa | IA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 691 | $126,980,417 | $183,763 |
| 33 | University of Maryland-College Park | MD | NCAA Division I-FBS | 517 | $94,881,357 | $183,523 |
| 34 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | IL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 454 | $83,307,820 | $183,497 |
| 35 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 775 | $139,430,724 | $179,911 |
| 36 | University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | NCAA Division I-FBS | 502 | $90,034,258 | $179,351 |
| 37 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | GA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 400 | $71,438,008 | $178,595 |
| 38 | Kansas State University | KS | NCAA Division I-FBS | 484 | $86,081,526 | $177,854 |
| 39 | West Virginia University | WV | NCAA Division I-FBS | 523 | $92,593,373 | $177,043 |
| 40 | Northwestern University | IL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 478 | $84,279,755 | $176,317 |
| 41 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 483 | $84,841,133 | $175,655 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 821 | $144,017,062 | $175,417 |
| 43 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | PA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 484 | $84,831,036 | $175,271 |
| 44 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 941 | $162,955,051 | $173,172 |
| 45 | Oregon State University | OR | NCAA Division I-FBS | 502 | $86,730,624 | $172,770 |
| 46 | Wake Forest University | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 394 | $66,995,224 | $170,039 |
| 47 | Baylor University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 578 | $98,125,426 | $169,767 |
| 48 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 1,050 | $175,885,823 | $167,510 |
| 49 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | OK | NCAA Division I-FBS | 530 | $88,059,220 | $166,149 |
| 50 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 514 | $85,201,572 | $165,762 |
| 51 | University of Utah | UT | NCAA Division I-FBS | 457 | $74,774,278 | $163,620 |
| 52 | Arizona State University-Tempe | AZ | NCAA Division I-FBS | 608 | $98,972,378 | $162,784 |
| 53 | Syracuse University | NY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 567 | $91,445,865 | $161,280 |
| 54 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 689 | $104,819,338 | $152,133 |
| 55 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 688 | $104,106,646 | $151,318 |
| 56 | Duke University | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 668 | $100,480,206 | $150,419 |
| 57 | Iowa State University | IA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 443 | $66,335,424 | $149,741 |
| 58 | Stanford University | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 851 | $125,039,558 | $146,933 |
| 59 | Michigan State University | MI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 713 | $103,920,895 | $145,752 |
| 60 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 557 | $80,792,750 | $145,050 |
| 61 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 761 | $107,894,615 | $141,780 |
| 62 | Washington State University | WA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 504 | $71,394,584 | $141,656 |
| 63 | Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 301 | $42,459,986 | $141,063 |
| 64 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | VA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 695 | $92,962,999 | $133,760 |
| 65 | University of Connecticut | CT | NCAA Division I-FBS | 648 | $83,374,163 | $128,664 |
| 66 | Southern Methodist University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 455 | $57,193,821 | $125,701 |
| 67 | University of Memphis | TN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 390 | $48,443,154 | $124,213 |
| 68 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | NCAA Division I-FBS | 639 | $78,439,668 | $122,754 |
| 69 | DePaul University | IL | NCAA Division I without football | 212 | $25,597,183 | $120,741 |
| 70 | Brigham Young University-Provo | UT | NCAA Division I-FBS | 566 | $67,733,712 | $119,671 |
| 71 | University of Central Florida | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 437 | $51,128,904 | $117,000 |
| 72 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | CO | NCAA Division I-FBS | 369 | $41,208,764 | $111,677 |
| 73 | Texas State University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 334 | $36,740,982 | $110,003 |
| 74 | Rice University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 360 | $39,125,169 | $108,681 |
| 75 | The University of Texas at El Paso | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 289 | $30,891,851 | $106,892 |
| 76 | University of Houston | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 457 | $48,820,426 | $106,828 |
| 77 | Temple University | PA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 492 | $52,394,437 | $106,493 |
| 78 | East Carolina University | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 430 | $45,751,164 | $106,398 |
| 79 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | AL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 272 | $28,929,743 | $106,359 |
| 80 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | NV | NCAA Division I-FBS | 382 | $40,613,503 | $106,318 |
| 81 | University of Denver | CO | NCAA Division I without football | 349 | $36,635,635 | $104,973 |
| 82 | St John's University-New York | NY | NCAA Division I without football | 330 | $34,610,502 | $104,880 |
| 83 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 452 | $46,776,240 | $103,487 |
| 84 | Marquette University | WI | NCAA Division I without football | 339 | $34,563,086 | $101,956 |
| 85 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 890 | $90,500,869 | $101,686 |
| 86 | University of South Florida-Main Campus | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 492 | $49,960,339 | $101,545 |
| 87 | Boston College | MA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 736 | $74,587,091 | $101,341 |
| 88 | Virginia Commonwealth University | VA | NCAA Division I without football | 299 | $29,784,991 | $99,615 |
| 89 | University of North Texas | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 338 | $33,429,160 | $98,903 |
| 90 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 913 | $89,382,397 | $97,900 |
| 91 | California State University-Fresno | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 452 | $43,903,160 | $97,131 |
| 92 | San Diego State University | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 541 | $51,569,852 | $95,323 |
| 93 | University of San Francisco | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 211 | $20,100,200 | $95,262 |
| 94 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus | NM | NCAA Division I-FBS | 440 | $41,368,528 | $94,019 |
| 95 | Boise State University | ID | NCAA Division I-FBS | 393 | $36,348,138 | $92,489 |
| 96 | Providence College | RI | NCAA Division I without football | 358 | $32,982,408 | $92,130 |
| 97 | Western Kentucky University | KY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 318 | $29,177,882 | $91,754 |
| 98 | University of Nevada-Reno | NV | NCAA Division I-FBS | 401 | $36,730,274 | $91,597 |
| 99 | University of Wyoming | WY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 396 | $35,796,878 | $90,396 |
| 100 | University of Tulsa | OK | NCAA Division I-FBS | 470 | $42,444,847 | $90,308 |
| 101 | Seton Hall University | NJ | NCAA Division I without football | 253 | $22,619,498 | $89,405 |
| 102 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | HI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 499 | $43,959,880 | $88,096 |
| 103 | James Madison University | VA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 492 | $43,002,934 | $87,404 |
| 104 | Old Dominion University | VA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 482 | $42,086,525 | $87,316 |
| 105 | Middle Tennessee State University | TN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 354 | $30,528,498 | $86,239 |
| 106 | Western Michigan University | MI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 378 | $32,568,703 | $86,161 |
| 107 | Wichita State University | KS | NCAA Division I without football | 305 | $26,192,382 | $85,877 |
| 108 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 333 | $27,826,471 | $83,563 |
| 109 | Florida International University | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 424 | $35,297,643 | $83,249 |
| 110 | Creighton University | NE | NCAA Division I without football | 291 | $23,664,229 | $81,320 |
| 111 | University of Akron Main Campus | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 413 | $32,430,238 | $78,524 |
| 112 | The University of Montana | MT | NCAA Division I-FCS | 345 | $27,064,306 | $78,447 |
| 113 | University of the Pacific | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 316 | $24,619,395 | $77,909 |
| 114 | Ohio University-Main Campus | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 419 | $32,621,410 | $77,855 |
| 115 | Xavier University | OH | NCAA Division I without football | 277 | $21,475,964 | $77,531 |
| 116 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 426 | $32,932,759 | $77,307 |
| 117 | University of Richmond | VA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 399 | $30,743,620 | $77,052 |
| 118 | Gonzaga University | WA | NCAA Division I without football | 364 | $28,013,845 | $76,961 |
| 119 | University of Toledo | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 391 | $29,001,171 | $74,172 |
| 120 | George Washington University | DC | NCAA Division I without football | 509 | $37,743,777 | $74,153 |
| 121 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | NE | NCAA Division I without football | 267 | $19,541,735 | $73,190 |
| 122 | Marshall University | WV | NCAA Division I-FBS | 403 | $29,367,140 | $72,871 |
| 123 | Troy University | AL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 394 | $28,571,770 | $72,517 |
| 124 | Georgia State University | GA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 378 | $27,366,614 | $72,398 |
| 125 | Louisiana Tech University | LA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 315 | $22,467,526 | $71,325 |
| 126 | Bradley University | IL | NCAA Division I without football | 227 | $16,183,183 | $71,292 |
| 127 | Liberty University | VA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 509 | $36,013,263 | $70,753 |
| 128 | Miami University-Oxford | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 511 | $35,903,047 | $70,260 |
| 129 | Montana State University | MT | NCAA Division I-FCS | 315 | $21,941,343 | $69,655 |
| 130 | University of Alaska Anchorage | AK | NCAA Division II without football | 161 | $11,180,464 | $69,444 |
| 131 | Northeastern University | MA | NCAA Division I without football | 419 | $29,025,294 | $69,273 |
| 132 | Pepperdine University | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 305 | $20,862,298 | $68,401 |
| 133 | Hofstra University | NY | NCAA Division I without football | 316 | $21,612,205 | $68,393 |
| 134 | University of Idaho | ID | NCAA Division I-FBS | 317 | $21,650,195 | $68,297 |
| 135 | Georgetown University | DC | NCAA Division I-FCS | 659 | $44,652,901 | $67,759 |
| 136 | Central Michigan University | MI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 470 | $31,792,125 | $67,643 |
| 137 | Villanova University | PA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 629 | $42,400,846 | $67,410 |
| 138 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | ND | NCAA Division I-FCS | 419 | $28,124,505 | $67,123 |
| 139 | Butler University | IN | Other | 432 | $28,971,821 | $67,064 |
| 140 | University at Buffalo | NY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 506 | $33,584,196 | $66,372 |
| 141 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | LA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 401 | $26,541,072 | $66,187 |
| 142 | Loyola Marymount University | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 357 | $23,598,739 | $66,103 |
| 143 | Elon University | NC | NCAA Division I-FCS | 385 | $25,416,974 | $66,018 |
| 144 | Ball State University | IN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 419 | $27,410,832 | $65,420 |
| 145 | Saint Louis University | MO | NCAA Division I without football | 327 | $21,318,797 | $65,195 |
| 146 | University of Portland | OR | NCAA Division I without football | 272 | $17,720,908 | $65,150 |
| 147 | Utah State University | UT | NCAA Division I-FBS | 524 | $33,858,736 | $64,616 |
| 148 | Samford University | AL | NCAA Division I-FCS | 340 | $21,921,217 | $64,474 |
| 149 | Coastal Carolina University | SC | Other | 451 | $28,936,464 | $64,161 |
| 150 | San Jose State University | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 440 | $28,090,817 | $63,843 |
| 151 | University of Dayton | OH | NCAA Division I-FCS | 414 | $26,305,830 | $63,541 |
| 152 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 620 | $39,387,913 | $63,529 |
| 153 | Santa Clara University | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 375 | $23,688,106 | $63,168 |
| 154 | University of South Alabama | AL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 383 | $24,059,763 | $62,819 |
| 155 | University of Missouri-Kansas City | MO | NCAA Division I without football | 241 | $15,094,615 | $62,633 |
| 156 | Lipscomb University | TN | NCAA Division I without football | 283 | $17,657,623 | $62,394 |
| 157 | Illinois State University | IL | NCAA Division I-FCS | 419 | $26,056,566 | $62,188 |
| 158 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | TN | NCAA Division I-FCS | 284 | $17,660,119 | $62,184 |
| 159 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | IL | NCAA Division I-FCS | 365 | $22,652,421 | $62,061 |
| 160 | Loyola University Chicago | IL | NCAA Division I without football | 223 | $13,810,655 | $61,931 |
| 161 | University of Southern Mississippi | MS | NCAA Division I-FBS | 359 | $22,230,837 | $61,924 |
| 162 | Quinnipiac University | CT | NCAA Division I without football | 455 | $27,891,934 | $61,301 |
| 163 | Northern Illinois University | IL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 403 | $24,695,763 | $61,280 |
| 164 | Fordham University | NY | NCAA Division I-FCS | 545 | $33,102,582 | $60,739 |
| 165 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | AR | NCAA Division I without football | 201 | $12,184,771 | $60,621 |
| 166 | Furman University | SC | NCAA Division I-FCS | 468 | $28,179,039 | $60,212 |
| 167 | Kent State University at Kent | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 478 | $28,535,475 | $59,698 |
| 168 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | NH | NCAA Division I-FCS | 534 | $31,621,270 | $59,216 |
| 169 | LIU Brooklyn | NY | NCAA Division I without football | 259 | $15,329,921 | $59,189 |
| 170 | Wofford College | SC | NCAA Division I-FCS | 335 | $19,822,191 | $59,171 |
| 171 | University of North Dakota | ND | NCAA Division I-FCS | 430 | $25,219,135 | $58,649 |
| 172 | Boston University | MA | NCAA Division I without football | 577 | $33,757,327 | $58,505 |
| 173 | Belmont University | TN | NCAA Division I without football | 242 | $14,151,161 | $58,476 |
| 174 | Eastern Michigan University | MI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 556 | $32,311,248 | $58,114 |
| 175 | Stony Brook University | NY | NCAA Division I-FCS | 441 | $25,557,023 | $57,952 |
| 176 | University of Rhode Island | RI | NCAA Division I-FCS | 464 | $26,883,562 | $57,939 |
| 177 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 410 | $23,753,594 | $57,936 |
| 178 | Kennesaw State University | GA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 388 | $22,423,726 | $57,793 |
| 179 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 354 | $20,258,440 | $57,227 |
| 180 | University of San Diego | CA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 434 | $24,730,465 | $56,983 |
| 181 | University of California-Irvine | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 329 | $18,727,667 | $56,923 |
| 182 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | NCAA Division I without football | 393 | $22,250,576 | $56,617 |
| 183 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 468 | $26,485,704 | $56,593 |
| 184 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | NC | NCAA Division I without football | 319 | $18,039,677 | $56,551 |
| 185 | The University of Texas at Arlington | TX | NCAA Division I without football | 241 | $13,570,285 | $56,308 |
| 186 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 270 | $15,194,607 | $56,276 |
| 187 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | NJ | NCAA Division I without football | 231 | $12,952,210 | $56,070 |
| 188 | University of Hartford | CT | NCAA Division I without football | 259 | $14,487,088 | $55,935 |
| 189 | Northern Arizona University | AZ | NCAA Division I-FCS | 333 | $18,511,106 | $55,589 |
| 190 | Florida Gulf Coast University | FL | NCAA Division I without football | 262 | $14,554,098 | $55,550 |
| 191 | American University | DC | NCAA Division I without football | 245 | $13,588,278 | $55,462 |
| 192 | Lehigh University | PA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 624 | $34,314,228 | $54,991 |
| 193 | Bacone College | OK | NAIA Division I | 389 | $21,342,202 | $54,864 |
| 194 | University of Delaware | DE | NCAA Division I-FCS | 613 | $33,601,114 | $54,814 |
| 195 | Saint Mary's College of California | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 308 | $16,779,005 | $54,477 |
| 196 | Oral Roberts University | OK | NCAA Division I without football | 252 | $13,667,647 | $54,237 |
| 197 | California State University-Bakersfield | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 298 | $16,134,125 | $54,141 |
| 198 | Eastern Washington University | WA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 289 | $15,628,353 | $54,077 |
| 199 | Appalachian State University | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 478 | $25,795,349 | $53,965 |
| 200 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | NM | NCAA Division I-FBS | 416 | $22,448,424 | $53,963 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education
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