2026 Best Colleges for Men’s Golf (Division I) in Plains States
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 19 schools for Men’s Golf (Division I) in Plains States 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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Top 19 Colleges for Men’s Golf (Division I) in Plains States
Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, our #1 college for Men's Golf (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a public institution. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,155, compared with $100,214 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Kansas is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division I) in Plains States, at #2. This public school is set in Lawrence, KS. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $44,291 in revenue per athlete, compared with $102,772 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,506 per athlete.
Kansas State University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Golf (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Manhattan, KS, Kansas State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 984, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 58% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $81,908 per participant, compared with $81,908 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,682.
University of Iowa is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division I) in Plains States, at #4. Based in Iowa City, IA, University of Iowa is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $14,246 in revenue per athlete, compared with $82,708 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,176 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Missouri-Columbia is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division I) in Plains States, at #5. University of Missouri-Columbia is a public school based in Columbia, MO. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 976, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $120,266, compared with $120,266 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,637 per athlete.
Creighton University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Omaha, NE, Creighton University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $12,722 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $28,702 per participant. The school awards about $17,224 in athletic aid per athlete.
Iowa State University did well this year, earning the #7 position. This public school is set in Ames, IA. Iowa State University records an NCAA APR of 993, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Team revenue averages $2,287 per participant, compared with $144,847 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,185 per athlete.
Missouri State University-Springfield came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Springfield, MO. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,235, with expenses of about $40,235 per participant. Athletic aid averages $12,364 per athlete.
Drake University did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Des Moines, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 89%. The program generates about $51,150 in revenue per athlete, compared with $51,150 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,413 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Dakota came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Grand Forks, ND, University of North Dakota is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $30,279 per participant, with expenses of about $30,279 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,250 per athlete.
North Dakota State University-Main Campus ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf (Division I) in Plains States. North Dakota State University-Main Campus is a public school based in Fargo, ND. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $46,681 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $46,681 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,886.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a public institution. University of Nebraska-Lincoln records an NCAA APR of 976, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $4,150 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $138,122 per participant. The school awards about $16,793 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Missouri-Kansas City came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Kansas City, MO, University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 982, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $56,051, against $51,603 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,225.
Wichita State University landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Wichita, KS, Wichita State University is a public institution. Wichita State University records an NCAA APR of 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. The program generates about $60,065 in revenue per athlete, against $60,065 in expenses. The school awards about $11,114 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Dakota came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Vermillion, SD, University of South Dakota is a public institution. University of South Dakota records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $26,664 per participant, compared with $26,664 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,323 per athlete.
University of Northern Iowa landed the #16 spot this year. This public school is set in Cedar Falls, IA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $9,954 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,954 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,720.
Lindenwood University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Charles, MO. Lindenwood University records an NCAA APR of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 78%. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,577, compared with $27,577 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,722.
University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Omaha, NE, University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 25%. The program generates about $5,026 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $30,607 per participant. Athletic aid averages $10,713 per athlete.
South Dakota State University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Brookings, SD, South Dakota State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 960, and a 57% Graduation Success Rate. About 22% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,000, compared with $39,000 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,424 in athletic aid per athlete.
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Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.
