by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 13 schools for Men’s Golf (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Colgate University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Golf (Division I). Colgate University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hamilton, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,393, with expenses of about $25,393 per participant. Athletic aid averages $22,658 per athlete.
Fordham University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Bronx, NY, Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $17,950 per participant, with expenses of about $17,950 per participant. The school awards about $32,443 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hofstra University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hempstead, NY. Hofstra University records an NCAA APR of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $27,686 in revenue per athlete, compared with $27,686 spent per athlete. The school awards about $22,514 in athletic aid per athlete.
Binghamton University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Vestal, NY, Binghamton University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. The program generates about $34,048 in revenue per athlete, compared with $34,048 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,522 per athlete.
St. John's University-New York ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division I). St. John's University-New York is a private not-for-profit school based in Queens, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 964, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,196, with expenses of about $73,196 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,040.
Manhattan University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Manhattan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Riverdale, NY. Manhattan University records an NCAA APR of 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $23,880 per participant, with expenses of about $22,153 per participant. The school awards about $14,484 in athletic aid per athlete.
Columbia University in the City of New York placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division I). Located in New York, NY, Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. The program generates about $47,549 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $47,549 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Bonaventure University did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Bonaventure, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $29,081 per participant, against $29,081 in expenses. The school awards about $12,194 in athletic aid per athlete.
Cornell University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The program generates about $13,562 in revenue per athlete, against $13,562 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wagner College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Staten Island, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 976, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $21,193 per participant, with expenses of about $21,193 per participant. The school awards about $15,661 in athletic aid per athlete.
Iona University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in New Rochelle, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, alongside a GSR of 75%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $21,622 in revenue per athlete, against $21,622 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,814 per athlete.
Niagara University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Niagara University, NY, Niagara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Niagara University records an NCAA APR of 967, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $15,212 in revenue per athlete, against $15,212 in expenses. The school awards about $17,462 in athletic aid per athlete.
Canisius University landed the #13 spot this year. Canisius University is a private not-for-profit school based in Buffalo, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $17,110 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,110 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,300 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.