N.C.A.A. Division I National Champions
Men's Outdoor 400-Meter Dash
| Year | Name | School | Performance |
| 2011 | Kirani James | Alabama | 45.10 |
| 2010 | Kirani James | Alabama | 45.05 |
| 2009 | Jonathan Borlee | Florida State | 44.78 |
| 2008 | Andretti Bain | Oral Roberts (OK) | 44.62 |
| 2007 | Ricardo Chambers | Florida State | 44.66 |
| 2006 | Xavier Carter | Louisiana State | 44.53 |
| 2005 | Darold Williamson | Baylor | 44.51 |
| 2004 | Jeremy Wariner | Baylor | 44.71 |
| 2003 | Adam Steele | Minnesota | 44.57 |
| 2002 | Gary Kikaya | Tennessee | 44.53 |
| 2001 | Avard Moncour | Auburn | 44.84 |
| 2000 | Avard Moncour | Auburn | 44.72 |
| 1999 | Clement Chukwu | Eastern Michigan | 44.79 |
| 1998 | Jerome Davis | Southern California | 45.18 |
| 1997 | Roxbert Martin | Oklahoma | 44.77 |
| 1996 | Davian Clarke | Miami (Florida) | 45.29 |
| 1995 | Greg Haughton | George Mason | 44.62 |
| 1994 | Derek Mills | Georgia Tech | 45.06 |
| 1993 | Calvin Davis | Arkansas | 45.04 |
| 1992 | Quincy Watts | Southern California | 44.00 |
| 1991 | Gabriel Luke | Rice | 45.32 |
| 1990 | Steve Lewis | UCLA | 45.19 |
| 1989 | Raymond Pierre | Baylor | 44.59 |
| 1988 | Danny Everett | UCLA | 44.52 |
| 1987 | Butch Reynolds | Ohio State | 44.12 |
| 1986 | Gabriel Tiacoh | Washington State | 44.30 |
| 1985 | Roddie Haley | Arkansas | 44.70 |
| 1984 | Antonio McKay | Georgia Tech | 44.83 |
| 1983 | Bert Cameron | Texas-El Paso | 44.62 |
| 1982 | Kasheef Hassan | Oregon State | 45.47 |
| 1981 | Bert Cameron | Texas-El Paso | 44.58 |
| 1980 | Bert Cameron | Texas-El Paso | 45.23 |
| 1979 | Kasheef Hassan | Oregon State | 45.18 |
| 1978 | Vacated | ||
| 1977 | Herman Frazier | Arizona State | 45.57 |
| 1976 | Ken Randle | Southern California | 45.2 |
| 1975 | Benny Brown | UCLA | 45.35* |
| 1974 | Larance Jones | Truman State (MO) | 45.46* |
| 1973 | Maurice Peoples | Arizona State | 45.0* |
| 1972 | John Smith | UCLA | 44.5 |
| 1971 | John Smith | UCLA | 45.3* |
| 1970 | Larry James | Villanova | 45.5* |
| 1969 | Curtis Mills | Texas A&M | 44.7* |
| 1968 | Lee Evans | San Jose State | 45.0 |
| 1967 | Emmett Taylor | Ohio University | 45.9* |
| 1966 | Dwight Middleton | Southern California | 46.3* |
| 1965 | Jim Kemp | Kentucky State | 46.2* |
| 1964 | Tie.Ulis Williams Bob Tobler |
Arizona State Brigham Young |
45.9 |
| 1963 | Ulis Williams | Arizona State | 45.8* |
| 1962 | Hubert Brown | Morgan State (MD) | 46.9* |
| 1961 | Adolph Plummer | New Mexico | 46.2* |
| 1960 | Ted Woods | Colorado | 45.7 |
| 1959 | Eddie Southern | Texas | 46.4* |
| 1958 | Glen Davis | Ohio State | 45.7* |
| 1957 | Bob McMurray | Morgan State (MD) | 46.8* |
| 1956 | J.W. Mashburn | Oklahoma State | 46.4* |
| 1955 | J.W. Mashburn | Oklahoma State | 46.6* |
| 1954 | Jim Lea | Southern California | 46.7* |
| 1953 | Jim Lea | Southern California | 47.0* |
| 1952 | George Rhoden | Morgan State (MD) | 46.3 |
| 1951 | George Rhoden | Morgan State (MD) | 46.5* |
| 1950 | George Rhoden | Morgan State (MD) | 47.2* |
| 1949 | Charles Moore | Cornell | 47.0* |
| 1948 | Norman Rucks | South Carolina | 47.2 |
| 1947 | Herb McKenley | Illinois | 46.2* |
| 1946 | Herb McKenley | Illinois | 47.5* |
| 1945 | William Kash | Navy | 49.8* |
| 1944 | Elmore Harris | Morgan State (MD) | 47.9* |
| 1943 | Cliff Bourland | Southern California | 48.5* |
| 1942 | Cliff Bourland | Southern California | 48.2* |
| 1941 | Hubert Kerns | Southern California | 46.6* |
| 1940 | Lee Orr | Washington State | 47.3* |
| 1939 | Erwin Miller | Southern California | 47.5* |
| 1938 | Ray Mallott | Stanford | 46.8* |
| 1937 | Loren Benke | Washington State | 47.1* |
| 1936 | Archie Williams | California | 47.0 |
| 1935 | James LuValle | UCLA | 47.7* |
| 1934 | Glenn Hardin | Louisiana State | 47.0* |
| 1933 | Glenn Hardin | Louisiana State | 47.1* |
| 1932 | Alex Wilson | Notre Dame | 48.0 |
| 1931 | Victor Williams | Southern California | 48.3* |
| 1930 | Reginald Bowen | Pittsburgh | 48.0* |
| 1929 | Russell Walter | Northwestern | 47.9* |
| 1928 | E.L. Spencer | Stanford | 47.7* |
| 1927 | Hermon Phillips | Butler | 48.5* |
| 1926 | Hermon Phillips | Butler | 48.7* |
| 1925 | Hermon Phillips | Butler | 49.4* |
| 1923 | C.S. Cochran | Mississippi State | 49.2* |
| 1922 | C.S. Cochran | Mississippi State | 49.7* |
| 1921 | Frank Shea | Pittsburgh | 49.0* |