by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 8 schools for Men’s Golf (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual weighs 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:
No school ranked higher than Valdosta State University this year for Men's Golf (Division II). Based in Valdosta, GA, Valdosta State University is a public institution. The program generates about $21,256 in revenue per athlete, against $21,256 in expenses. The school awards about $6,542 in athletic aid per athlete.
Columbus State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Columbus, GA, Columbus State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,033, compared with $30,033 spent per athlete. The school awards about $4,670 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of West Georgia is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division II), at #3. This public school is set in Carrollton, GA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 925, alongside a GSR of 90%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $25,502 per participant, against $25,502 in expenses. The school awards about $7,051 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Georgia landed the #4 spot for Men's Golf (Division II). Located in Dahlonega, GA, University of North Georgia is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $33,683, compared with $35,104 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,411.
Young Harris College is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division II), at #5. Young Harris College is a private not-for-profit school based in Young Harris, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,966, against $10,966 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,301.
Shorter University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rome, GA. The program generates about $11,605 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,605 per participant. The school awards about $7,563 in athletic aid per athlete.
Georgia Southwestern State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Americus, GA. Team revenue averages $26,324 per participant, with expenses of about $26,324 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,453 per athlete.
Savannah State University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Savannah State University is a public school based in Savannah, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,823, against $13,823 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,151 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.