Quinnipiac forward Matthew Peca (20) works for the puck in the corner against St. Cloud State’s Nick Jansen (14) and Cory Thorson during the first period of an NCAA college hockey Frozen Four semifinal. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated from its original version to reflect the most recent data for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Ice hockey is passionately followed and played around the world. The International Ice Hockey Federation surveyed 62 nations in 2013 and found the number of hockey players had grown by 2.47% to over 1.64 million. In North America and beyond, players can find jobs at minor and major levels of hockey. The IIHF also noted a growth in the number of officials by 5.48% and the number of ice rinks by over 3%. This points to an increase in jobs in refereeing, coaching and facilitating the sport.
If your post-collegiate future does not involve a career on the ice, you’ll need to be sure to exit college with the right education. Jobs around the sport will require degrees in business, sports management, kinesiology and more.
This ranking of the top 10 DI men’s college hockey teams takes into account the academic success of the players as well as the athletic success of the team. Some of the factors in this ranking are the win/loss record of the team, the overall quality of the school, and the academic progress rate as defined by the NCAA, as well as athletic aid and resources available to the student athletes. Learn more about what is behind the ranking here.
1. Boston College
After seven years at Clarkson College and 15 years at Bowling Green, Jerry York returned to his alma mater, where he has coached for 22 years. With 963 wins, he is college hockey’s winningest coach. He has won five national titles. BC is a very exclusive school, admitting applicants with an average SAT score of 1360. Students graduate on time at an 89% rate to earn an average starting salary of $47,000.
2. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Mike Eaves finished his Badgers hockey career with historic scoring numbers and a national championship. In 2002, he returned as head coach. His team captured the national championship in 2006. UW-Madison is ranked #1 in the state academically. 95% of its freshmen return for another year. Biology, economics and political science are its most popular majors. Graduates earn an average starting salary of $42,000.
3. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
In 2003, Don Lucia became one of only four coaches to win back-to-back NCAA championships. He does some of his best coaching late in the year, earning a career 68-36-2 record in March and April. Minnesota is quite exclusive for a public school, accepting applicants with an average SAT score of 1300. Most popular majors are psychology, economics and journalism. Graduates earn an average of $42,000 to start their careers.
4. Boston University
The Terriers had a turn-around in the 2014-2015 season improving by 18 wins from lasts season. David Quinn has been the head coach for the past three years and under his leadership the team has seen some great improvements. In addition to its hockey team, BU is known as a selective and competitive school, offering a high quality education to students.
5. Quinnipiac University
In his 21st season Head Coach Rand Pecknold guided his team to their third NCAA Tournament appearance. His Bobcats won more spots on the ECAC All-Academic team than any other school in the conference and earned a collective 3.47 GPA.
Quinnipiac has a 12 to 1 student to faculty ration with 100% of its teachers practicing full-time. 84% of its freshmen return for a second year. Graduates earn an average of $46,000 to start their careers.
6. College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross is a highly-ranked and competitive private Catholic college. Some of the most popular majors at the school are economics, political science, and English.
Head coach David Berard is in his 2nd season at Holy Cross after coaching Providence for 16 seasons. In the 2014-2015 season the Crusaders set a school record for only allowing 2.34 goals per game and their senior goalie earned All-Atlantic Hockey honors.
7. Harvard University
When you think Harvard, most people don’t immediately think of ice hockey, but that would be a mistake. Harvard Crimson is a solid team. Under Head Coach Ted Donato Harvard has won ECAC and Ivy League championships. Last year junior co-captain won the program’s first ECAC student-athlete of the year award.
Harvard boasts an impressive 7 to 1 student to faculty ratio, and an 87% on-time graduation rate. Some of the most popular majors are political science, economics and social sciences.
8. Clarkson University
Located in the far north of New York is a small engineering university with a fierce hockey team. Casey Jones has been the head coach for five years. In the 2013-2014 season the Clarkson Knights had a 20-win campaign.
Clarkson is a small and focused school that provides a good value for the money. The majority of the students study engineering with the most popular majors being mechanical engineering and civil engineering.
9. Ohio State University
Steve Rohlik is the head coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes and let his team to a fourth place finish in the Big Ten Conference in 2014. This large public university offers a quality education to students at an affordable cost. Some of the most popular majors are psychology, communication, finance, and biology.
10. University of North Dakota
The UND is the top-ranked school in North Dakota. The Frozen Hawks have made appearances in the NCAA tournament 30 times and the Frozen Four 21 times. The team won 29 games in the 2013-2014 season and lost in the Frozen Four to Boston University. Some of the most popular majors at UND include air transportation, liberal arts, psychology and nursing.
