by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 20 programs for Men’s Golf (Division III) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Leading the list is Carleton College, our #1 college for Men's Golf (Division III) in Plains States. Carleton College is a private not-for-profit school based in Northfield, MN. Team revenue averages $9,723 per participant, with expenses of about $9,637 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Grinnell College is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division III) in Plains States, at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grinnell, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,005, compared with $10,005 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Macalester College is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division III) in Plains States, at #3. Located in Saint Paul, MN, Macalester College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,038 per participant, against $9,009 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Olaf College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,394 per participant, against $8,394 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gustavus Adolphus College is one of the top schools for Men's Golf (Division III) in Plains States, at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Peter, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,987, with expenses of about $4,987 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Luther College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Luther College is a private not-for-profit school based in Decorah, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,639, with expenses of about $5,037 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Loras College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Dubuque, IA, Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,146 per participant, with expenses of about $6,146 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Martin Luther College landed the #8 spot this year. Located in New Ulm, MN, Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $2,971 per participant, with expenses of about $2,971 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Webster University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Saint Louis, MO, Webster University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,528, against $14,698 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wartburg College placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Waverly, IA, Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,393, compared with $5,393 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nebraska Wesleyan University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lincoln, NE. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,839, with expenses of about $2,654 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Northwestern-St Paul landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Saint Paul, MN, University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,640 per participant, against $3,640 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Simpson College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Indianola, IA. Team revenue averages $4,136 per participant, compared with $3,848 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
North Central University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf (Division III) in Plains States. Located in Minneapolis, MN, North Central University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,285 per participant, with expenses of about $5,285 per participant. The school awards about $49 in athletic aid per athlete.
Augsburg University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Minneapolis, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,708, compared with $6,708 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division III) in Plains States. Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mankato, MN. The program generates about $5,930 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,942 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Dubuque placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Golf (Division III) in Plains States. University of Dubuque is a private not-for-profit school based in Dubuque, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,339, against $9,993 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Buena Vista University landed the #18 spot this year. Located in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,752, with expenses of about $5,752 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Minnesota-Morris ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf (Division III) in Plains States. University of Minnesota-Morris is a public school based in Morris, MN. Team revenue averages $1,752 per participant, compared with $1,522 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Coe College landed the #20 spot this year. Located in Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,009 per participant, compared with $5,009 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.