by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 60 schools for Men’s Golf in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Carleton College, our #1 college for Men's Golf in Plains States. Located in Northfield, MN, Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,723 per participant, with expenses of about $9,637 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Grinnell College landed the #2 spot for Men's Golf in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grinnell, IA. Team revenue averages $10,005 per participant, compared with $10,005 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Macalester College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Golf in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,038, against $9,009 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ranked #4 among the best colleges for Men's Golf in Plains States. Based in Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. Team revenue averages $30,155 per participant, against $100,214 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,174.
Maryville University of Saint Louis earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Saint Louis, MO, Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $22,370 per participant, against $20,623 in expenses. The school awards about $6,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rockhurst University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf in Plains States. Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit school based in Kansas City, MO. The program generates about $11,096 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,096 per participant. The school awards about $8,130 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Olaf College landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,394 per participant, with expenses of about $8,394 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Kansas came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Lawrence, KS, University of Kansas is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $44,291 in revenue per athlete, against $102,772 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,506 per athlete.
Drake University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Des Moines, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $51,150 per participant, against $51,150 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,413.
Missouri State University-Springfield landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Springfield, MO, Missouri State University-Springfield is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. The program generates about $40,235 in revenue per athlete, against $40,235 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,364 per athlete.
Creighton University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Omaha, NE, Creighton University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,722, compared with $28,702 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,224.
University of North Dakota placed #12 among the best colleges for Men's Golf in Plains States. Based in Grand Forks, ND, University of North Dakota is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $30,279 per participant, against $30,279 in expenses. The school awards about $11,250 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Dakota State University-Main Campus landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Fargo, ND, North Dakota State University-Main Campus is a public institution. North Dakota State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,681, against $46,681 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,886.
Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #14 spot this year. Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Peter, MN. Team revenue averages $4,987 per participant, compared with $4,987 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kansas State University did well this year, earning the #15 position. This public school is set in Manhattan, KS. Kansas State University records an NCAA APR of 984, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $81,908, with expenses of about $81,908 per participant. The school awards about $17,682 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Dakota ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf in Plains States. This public school is set in Vermillion, SD. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,664, compared with $26,664 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
Luther College landed the #17 spot this year. Located in Decorah, IA, Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,639 per participant, compared with $5,037 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Missouri University of Science and Technology did well this year, earning the #18 position. This public school is set in Rolla, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,484, compared with $19,484 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,772.
University of Iowa placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Golf in Plains States. University of Iowa is a public school based in Iowa City, IA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,246, against $82,708 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,176.
University of Missouri-Columbia landed the #20 spot this year. Based in Columbia, MO, University of Missouri-Columbia is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 976, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $120,266, against $120,266 in expenses. The school awards about $16,637 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Mary did well this year, earning the #21 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bismarck, ND. Team revenue averages $9,440 per participant, compared with $9,440 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,321.
Iowa State University landed the #22 spot this year. Iowa State University is a public school based in Ames, IA. Iowa State University records an NCAA APR of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,287, with expenses of about $144,847 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,185 per athlete.
University of Missouri-Kansas City did well this year, earning the #23 position. University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public school based in Kansas City, MO. The team's NCAA APR score is 982, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Team revenue averages $56,051 per participant, against $51,603 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,225 per athlete.
Martin Luther College came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit school based in New Ulm, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,971, compared with $2,971 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Loras College did well this year, earning the #25 position. Loras College is a private not-for-profit school based in Dubuque, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,146, against $6,146 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
