by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 12 programs for Men’s Golf (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual evaluates each program using a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to be the best college for Men's Golf (Division I) in Illinois. This public school is set in Champaign, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $138,042 per participant, against $318,553 in expenses. The school awards about $25,398 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwestern University is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division I), at #2. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Evanston, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,536, with expenses of about $170,271 per participant. The school awards about $53,919 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Illinois University landed the #3 spot for Men's Golf (Division I). Based in Dekalb, IL, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $59,260 in revenue per athlete, against $59,260 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,138 per athlete.
Loyola University Chicago is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division I), at #4. Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Team revenue averages $43,004 per participant, against $43,004 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,325.
Illinois State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Golf (Division I). Located in Normal, IL, Illinois State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 86%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. The program generates about $48,853 in revenue per athlete, against $48,853 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,477.
Bradley University landed the #6 spot this year. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit school based in Peoria, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $30,505 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $30,505 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,583 per athlete.
DePaul University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Chicago, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $71,930 in revenue per athlete, against $71,930 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,928.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division I). Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public school based in Edwardsville, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. The program generates about $32,168 in revenue per athlete, compared with $32,168 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,334 per athlete.
Western Illinois University landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in Macomb, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,161, compared with $34,161 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $10,303 per athlete.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division I). This public school is set in Carbondale, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 972, alongside a GSR of 82%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. The program generates about $36,438 in revenue per athlete, compared with $36,438 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,525 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Illinois University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Charleston, IL, Eastern Illinois University is a public institution. The Graduation Success Rate here is 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,249, with expenses of about $21,249 per participant. The school awards about $7,653 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chicago State University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf (Division I). Located in Chicago, IL, Chicago State University is a public institution. Chicago State University records an NCAA APR of 976, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $14,840 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,840 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,877 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.