by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 13 programs for Men’s Golf by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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No school ranked higher than Grinnell College this year for Men's Golf. Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit school based in Grinnell, IA. Team revenue averages $10,005 per participant, with expenses of about $10,005 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Iowa ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. University of Iowa is a public school based in Iowa City, IA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 78%. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,246, with expenses of about $82,708 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,176 per athlete.
Luther College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based 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. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Northern Iowa is one of the top schools for Men's Golf, at #4. This public school is set in Cedar Falls, IA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $9,954 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,954 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,720 per athlete.
Loras College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Dubuque, IA, Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,146 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,146 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Drake University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Des Moines, IA. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 89%. Team revenue averages $51,150 per participant, against $51,150 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,413 per athlete.
Wartburg College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waverly, IA. Team revenue averages $5,393 per participant, against $5,393 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Iowa State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. This public school is set in Ames, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,287, with expenses of about $144,847 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,185.
Simpson College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Simpson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Indianola, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,136, with expenses of about $3,848 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Buena Vista University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Storm Lake, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,752, compared with $5,752 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Upper Iowa University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Fayette, IA, Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,105, against $11,536 in expenses. The school awards about $6,035 in athletic aid per athlete.
Coe College came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Cedar Rapids, IA, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,009 per participant, with expenses of about $5,009 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Dubuque came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,339, against $9,993 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.