by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 24 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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No school ranked higher than Washington and Lee University this year for Men's Golf. Located in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $18,785 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $18,785 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Christopher Newport University landed the #2 spot for Men's Golf. This public school is set in Newport News, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,483, with expenses of about $17,483 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Golf. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA. University of Virginia-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Team revenue averages $110,637 per participant, against $110,637 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,976.
University of Richmond landed the #4 spot for Men's Golf. Located in University of Richmond, VA, University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $69,681, with expenses of about $69,681 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,609 per athlete.
James Madison University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. This public school is set in Harrisonburg, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Team revenue averages $68,674 per participant, with expenses of about $68,674 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,945 per athlete.
Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. Located in Richmond, VA, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $85,930, against $85,930 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,187 per athlete.
William & Mary landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Williamsburg, VA, William & Mary is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $104,614 in revenue per athlete, against $22,327 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ashland, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,780, with expenses of about $7,780 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public school based in Blacksburg, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $19,777 per participant, compared with $89,461 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,706.
Shenandoah University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Located in Winchester, VA, Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,799 per participant, compared with $6,799 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Lynchburg landed the #11 spot this year. Located in Lynchburg, VA, University of Lynchburg is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,553 in revenue per athlete, against $14,553 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Liberty University placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lynchburg, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $68,186 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $68,186 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,589 per athlete.
Longwood University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Longwood University is a public school based in Farmville, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 88% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,802, with expenses of about $46,282 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,569 per athlete.
Roanoke College placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Based in Salem, VA, Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,327 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,327 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
George Mason University did well this year, earning the #15 position. George Mason University is a public school based in Fairfax, VA. George Mason University records an NCAA APR of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Team revenue averages $38,674 per participant, against $38,674 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,956 per athlete.
Radford University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. This public school is set in Radford, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 78%. Team revenue averages $25,611 per participant, compared with $25,611 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,467 in athletic aid per athlete.
Old Dominion University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Norfolk, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 967, alongside a GSR of 71%. The federal graduation rate stands at 40%. The program generates about $48,631 in revenue per athlete, against $48,631 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $24,728 per athlete.
Emory & Henry University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Based in Emory, VA, Emory & Henry University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,091 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,091 per participant. The school awards about $5,871 in athletic aid per athlete.
Averett University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. Located in Danville, VA, Averett University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,923 in revenue per athlete, against $9,923 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Virginia Wesleyan University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. Based in Virginia Beach, VA, Virginia Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,722, against $5,722 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Virginia Union University placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Located in Richmond, VA, Virginia Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,886, against $24,996 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,465.
Virginia State University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. This public school is set in Petersburg, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,653, against $13,653 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,082 per athlete.
Ferrum College landed the #23 spot this year. Based in Ferrum, VA, Ferrum College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,733, compared with $11,733 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southern Virginia University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Located in Buena Vista, VA, Southern Virginia University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,435, compared with $7,435 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $90 per athlete.
*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.