by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 10 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Clemson University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Golf (Division I). This public school is set in Clemson, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 90% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $101,950, with expenses of about $101,950 per participant. The school awards about $21,730 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Columbia landed the #2 spot for Men's Golf (Division I). This public school is set in Columbia, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. The program generates about $148,129 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $148,129 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,645.
Furman University is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division I), at #3. Furman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greenville, SC. Furman University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $57,110 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $57,110 per participant. Athletic aid averages $28,699 per athlete.
Wofford College earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,996, against $44,996 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $26,368 per athlete.
College of Charleston ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division I). College of Charleston is a public school based in Charleston, SC. College of Charleston records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Team revenue averages $68,132 per participant, compared with $68,132 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,551 per athlete.
Coastal Carolina University landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Conway, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 958, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $83,287 in revenue per athlete, compared with $83,287 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,875.
Presbyterian College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf (Division I). Located in Clinton, SC, Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $33,220, compared with $33,220 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,454 in athletic aid per athlete.
Winthrop University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Winthrop University is a public school based in Rock Hill, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 966, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $35,299 per participant, against $35,299 in expenses. The school awards about $6,244 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Upstate placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division I). Based in Spartanburg, SC, University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public institution. University of South Carolina-Upstate records an NCAA APR of 978, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $32,670 per participant, compared with $32,670 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,411.
Charleston Southern University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division I). Located in Charleston, SC, Charleston Southern University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 963, with a Graduation Success Rate of 73%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $28,876 in revenue per athlete, against $28,876 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,092.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.