by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 8 colleges for Men’s Golf (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual scores each program on 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:
University of Kentucky earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Golf (Division I). Located in Lexington, KY, University of Kentucky is a public institution. University of Kentucky records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 90% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $86,483 per participant, compared with $86,483 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,921 per athlete.
University of Louisville came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Golf (Division I). University of Louisville is a public school based in Louisville, KY. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $25,102 in revenue per athlete, against $73,463 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,083 per athlete.
Eastern Kentucky University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Richmond, KY. Eastern Kentucky University records an NCAA APR of 993, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,874, against $48,874 in expenses. The school awards about $12,644 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Kentucky University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division I). Western Kentucky University is a public school based in Bowling Green, KY. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. The program generates about $29,473 in revenue per athlete, against $29,473 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,243.
Murray State University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division I). This public school is set in Murray, KY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. Team revenue averages $36,117 per participant, against $27,755 in expenses. The school awards about $11,774 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Kentucky University landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Highland Heights, KY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $22,728 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $22,728 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,809.
Bellarmine University landed the #7 spot this year. Bellarmine University is a private not-for-profit school based in Louisville, KY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $30,783 per participant, compared with $30,783 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,105.
Morehead State University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Morehead State University is a public school based in Morehead, KY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. The federal graduation rate stands at 45%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,387, with expenses of about $24,405 per participant. The school awards about $4,170 in athletic aid 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
See our data sources and methodologies.