by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 21 schools for Men’s Golf 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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Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than Vanderbilt University this year for Men's Golf. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. Vanderbilt University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $266,683 per participant, against $266,683 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $42,235 per athlete.
Belmont University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Based in Nashville, TN, Belmont University is a private not-for-profit institution. Belmont University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. Team revenue averages $49,874 per participant, with expenses of about $49,874 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,742.
Rhodes College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Golf. Located in Memphis, TN, Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,579, with expenses of about $10,579 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Union University landed the #4 spot for Men's Golf. Located in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $21,233 per participant, compared with $22,122 spent per athlete. The school awards about $17,895 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is one of the top schools for Men's Golf, at #5. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public school based in Knoxville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Team revenue averages $6,396 per participant, compared with $189,658 spent per athlete. The school awards about $29,054 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lipscomb University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 979, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $61,624, compared with $61,624 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $18,176 per athlete.
University of Memphis placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Located in Memphis, TN, University of Memphis is a public institution. University of Memphis records an NCAA APR of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 56% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $62,176, against $62,176 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,106 per athlete.
East Tennessee State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. Located in Johnson City, TN, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 984, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $109,425, compared with $109,425 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,444.
Tennessee Technological University placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Based in Cookeville, TN, Tennessee Technological University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 977, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. The program generates about $31,502 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $31,502 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,453 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public school based in Chattanooga, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 971, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 90%. The program generates about $58,907 in revenue per athlete, against $58,907 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,025.
The University of Tennessee-Martin ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. The University of Tennessee-Martin is a public school based in Martin, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Team revenue averages $34,308 per participant, with expenses of about $33,875 per participant. The school awards about $9,021 in athletic aid per athlete.
Middle Tennessee State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Murfreesboro, TN, Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 967, alongside a GSR of 86%. About 44% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $71,379 per participant, with expenses of about $71,379 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,110.
Lee University landed the #13 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cleveland, TN. The program generates about $24,797 in revenue per athlete, compared with $24,797 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,272 in athletic aid per athlete.
Austin Peay State University landed the #14 spot this year. Austin Peay State University is a public school based in Clarksville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 964, alongside a GSR of 90%. Its federal graduation rate is 89%. Team revenue averages $48,958 per participant, compared with $48,958 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,483 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christian Brothers University placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Christian Brothers University is a private not-for-profit school based in Memphis, TN. Team revenue averages $17,183 per participant, against $19,166 in expenses. The school awards about $3,833 in athletic aid per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Based in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,760 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $16,517 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,766.
Lincoln Memorial University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Lincoln Memorial University is a private not-for-profit school based in Harrogate, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,965, with expenses of about $16,833 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,449 per athlete.
Carson-Newman University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jefferson City, TN. Team revenue averages $33,182 per participant, compared with $29,375 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,904 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tennessee State University landed the #19 spot this year. Located in Nashville, TN, Tennessee State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 916, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Team revenue averages $28,621 per participant, compared with $28,621 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,651.
King University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Bristol, TN, King University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,100, with expenses of about $20,922 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,932.
Tusculum University placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Greeneville, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,648, with expenses of about $12,837 per participant. The school awards about $6,457 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.