by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 41 programs for Men’s Golf 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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University of California-Los Angeles earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Golf. University of California-Los Angeles is a public school based in Los Angeles, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 92%. The program generates about $111,244 in revenue per athlete, against $111,244 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $24,306 per athlete.
University of the Pacific is one of the top schools for Men's Golf, at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in Stockton, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $87,162, against $87,162 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,596.
University of Southern California landed the #3 spot for Men's Golf. Based in Los Angeles, CA, University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Southern California records an NCAA APR of 984, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $188,014, against $188,014 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $40,006.
University of San Francisco ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Located in San Francisco, CA, University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $88,798 in revenue per athlete, against $88,798 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $31,788 per athlete.
Chapman University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orange, CA. The program generates about $13,230 in revenue per athlete, against $13,230 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Stanford University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Stanford, CA, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Stanford University records an NCAA APR of 938, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $210,592 per participant, compared with $210,592 spent per athlete. The school awards about $42,012 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Berkeley came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Berkeley, CA, University of California-Berkeley is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 92% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $83,301, against $115,836 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,267.
Pepperdine University landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Malibu, CA, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 987, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $200,127, with expenses of about $200,127 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,861 per athlete.
University of California-Davis landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Davis, CA, University of California-Davis is a public institution. University of California-Davis records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $82,633 per participant, against $82,633 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,267.
Occidental College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Los Angeles, CA. The program generates about $9,137 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,910 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Santa Clara University landed the #11 spot this year. Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit school based in Santa Clara, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 90%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $58,912, with expenses of about $58,912 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,355 per athlete.
California State University-Fresno did well this year, earning the #12 position. California State University-Fresno is a public school based in Fresno, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,564, with expenses of about $73,564 per participant. The school awards about $15,577 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-San Diego came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in La Jolla, CA, University of California-San Diego is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $46,180 in revenue per athlete, compared with $46,180 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,847 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Lutheran University landed the #14 spot this year. Located in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,612 in revenue per athlete, against $12,612 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Dominican University of California ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit school based in San Rafael, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,530, with expenses of about $27,530 per participant. The school awards about $7,270 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Redlands did well this year, earning the #16 position. Located in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,083, against $16,315 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of San Diego did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in San Diego, CA, University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 970, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. The program generates about $111,627 in revenue per athlete, compared with $111,627 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,537 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, University of California-Santa Barbara is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,732, against $44,732 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,355 per athlete.
Loyola Marymount University landed the #19 spot this year. Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit school based in Los Angeles, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 963, alongside a GSR of 89%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $90,105 per participant, against $90,105 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $40,056.
California State University-Long Beach placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. California State University-Long Beach is a public school based in Long Beach, CA. California State University-Long Beach records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. The program generates about $62,807 in revenue per athlete, against $62,807 in expenses. The school awards about $8,770 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Northridge ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. California State University-Northridge is a public school based in Northridge, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $68,304 per participant, compared with $82,405 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,174 per athlete.
San Diego State University placed #22 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Located in San Diego, CA, San Diego State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 985, and a 62% Graduation Success Rate. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $153,538 per participant, compared with $191,599 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,450 per athlete.
Saint Mary's College of California landed the #23 spot this year. Saint Mary's College of California is a private not-for-profit school based in Moraga, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. The program generates about $80,331 in revenue per athlete, compared with $80,331 spent per athlete. The school awards about $18,999 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo landed the #24 spot this year. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a public school based in San Luis Obispo, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 976, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. The program generates about $116,207 in revenue per athlete, against $75,861 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,344 per athlete.
University of California-Riverside did well this year, earning the #25 position. Located in Riverside, CA, University of California-Riverside is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,252, compared with $34,252 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,154 per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.