by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 18 programs for Men’s Golf by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Clemson University this year for Men's Golf. Clemson University is a public school based in Clemson, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 90%. Team revenue averages $101,950 per participant, with expenses of about $101,950 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,730 per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Columbia ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public school based in Columbia, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $148,129 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $148,129 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,645 per athlete.
Furman University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Golf. Located in Greenville, SC, Furman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $57,110, against $57,110 in expenses. The school awards about $28,699 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Greenville University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Located in Tigerville, SC, North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,314, with expenses of about $20,483 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,158.
Wofford College earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,996, compared with $44,996 spent per athlete. The school awards about $26,368 in athletic aid per athlete.
College of Charleston did well this year, earning the #6 position. This public school is set in Charleston, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. The program generates about $68,132 in revenue per athlete, against $68,132 in expenses. The school awards about $11,551 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lander University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. This public school is set in Greenwood, SC. Team revenue averages $51,599 per participant, against $28,596 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,383 per athlete.
Coastal Carolina University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. This public school is set in Conway, SC. The team's NCAA APR score is 958, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Team revenue averages $83,287 per participant, with expenses of about $83,287 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,875 per athlete.
Presbyterian College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Clinton, SC. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. Team revenue averages $33,220 per participant, with expenses of about $33,220 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,454.
University of South Carolina-Upstate placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Based in Spartanburg, SC, University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,670, against $32,670 in expenses. The school awards about $9,411 in athletic aid per athlete.
Winthrop University landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Rock Hill, SC, Winthrop University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 966, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $35,299 per participant, against $35,299 in expenses. The school awards about $6,244 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina Aiken did well this year, earning the #12 position. University of South Carolina Aiken is a public school based in Aiken, SC. Team revenue averages $31,302 per participant, with expenses of about $31,302 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,318 per athlete.
Erskine College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. Located in Due West, SC, Erskine College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,488, against $10,488 in expenses. The school awards about $3,924 in athletic aid per athlete.
Francis Marion University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Florence, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,884, compared with $25,884 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,654 in athletic aid per athlete.
Newberry College came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Newberry, SC, Newberry College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,710, with expenses of about $19,884 per participant. The school awards about $5,596 in athletic aid per athlete.
Charleston Southern University placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Charleston Southern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Charleston, SC. Charleston Southern University records an NCAA APR of 963, alongside a GSR of 73%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $28,876 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $28,876 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,092 per athlete.
University of South Carolina Beaufort placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Based in Bluffton, SC, University of South Carolina Beaufort is a public institution. The program generates about $13,212 in revenue per athlete, against $12,751 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,478.
Coker University placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Coker University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hartsville, SC. Team revenue averages $15,678 per participant, compared with $13,483 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,938.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.