by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 14 schools for Men’s Golf 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Carleton College, our #1 college for Men's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Northfield, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,723, with expenses of about $9,637 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Macalester College landed the #2 spot for Men's Golf. Based in Saint Paul, MN, Macalester College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,038, compared with $9,009 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a public school based in Minneapolis, MN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $30,155 in revenue per athlete, compared with $100,214 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Olaf College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Golf. Based in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,394 in revenue per athlete, against $8,394 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gustavus Adolphus College is one of the top schools for Men's Golf, at #5. Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Peter, MN. Team revenue averages $4,987 per participant, against $4,987 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Winona State University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Winona, MN, Winona State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $15,352 per participant, with expenses of about $15,352 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,907 per athlete.
Martin Luther College landed the #7 spot this year. Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit school based in New Ulm, MN. Team revenue averages $2,971 per participant, against $2,971 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Northwestern-St Paul placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $3,640 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,640 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. North Central University is a private not-for-profit school based in Minneapolis, MN. The program generates about $5,285 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,285 spent per athlete. The school awards about $49 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bemidji State University placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. Based in Bemidji, MN, Bemidji State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,936, compared with $6,936 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,153 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Crookston ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Golf. This public school is set in Crookston, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,567, with expenses of about $18,567 per participant. The school awards about $7,101 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Morris came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Morris, MN, University of Minnesota-Morris is a public institution. The program generates about $1,752 in revenue per athlete, compared with $1,522 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Augsburg University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,708 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,708 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bethany Lutheran College placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mankato, MN. The program generates about $5,930 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,942 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.