by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 20 schools for Men’s Golf by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual evaluates each program using 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, our #1 college for Men's Golf. Located in Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public institution. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $22,347 in revenue per athlete, compared with $107,091 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $28,650 per athlete.
Michigan State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution. Michigan State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $211,251, against $211,251 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $22,500 per athlete.
Grand Valley State University is one of the top schools for Men's Golf, at #3. Located in Allendale, MI, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,874, compared with $37,551 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,088 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kalamazoo College is one of the top schools for Men's Golf, at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Kalamazoo, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,017, compared with $10,017 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hope College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Holland, MI, Hope College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,272 per participant, compared with $4,272 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Calvin University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,445 per participant, against $8,445 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Michigan University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Eastern Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $103,297, against $103,297 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,547.
Northwood University landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Midland, MI. The program generates about $12,432 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,432 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,948.
University of Detroit Mercy landed the #9 spot this year. University of Detroit Mercy is a private not-for-profit school based in Detroit, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,923, against $26,923 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,135.
Oakland University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Rochester Hills, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 86%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. The program generates about $66,702 in revenue per athlete, compared with $66,702 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,959 in athletic aid per athlete.
Central Michigan University placed #11 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Located in Mount Pleasant, MI, Central Michigan University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 964. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,685, compared with $39,685 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,123.
Alma College landed the #12 spot this year. Alma College is a private not-for-profit school based in Alma, MI. Team revenue averages $4,343 per participant, against $4,343 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Superior State University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. Located in Sault Ste Marie, MI, Lake Superior State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,824, with expenses of about $17,824 per participant. The school awards about $8,276 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Michigan University placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Northern Michigan University is a public school based in Marquette, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,886, against $24,960 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,323 per athlete.
Albion College did well this year, earning the #15 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Albion, MI. Team revenue averages $12,026 per participant, compared with $11,430 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in University Center, MI, Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,335, against $16,335 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,118.
Adrian College placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Located in Adrian, MI, Adrian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,195, compared with $9,195 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ferris State University placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Located in Big Rapids, MI, Ferris State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $16,095 per participant, compared with $16,095 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,572 per athlete.
Davenport University placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Based in Grand Rapids, MI, Davenport University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $12,295 per participant, against $12,295 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,850 per athlete.
The University of Olivet placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Olivet, MI. Team revenue averages $3,172 per participant, with expenses of about $3,172 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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
See our data sources and methodologies.