by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 7 programs for Women’s Golf (Division I) 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Michigan State University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division I). This public school is set in East Lansing, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. The program generates about $186,469 in revenue per athlete, compared with $186,469 spent per athlete. The school awards about $22,500 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf (Division I). Located in Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,042, against $131,690 in expenses. The school awards about $28,650 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Michigan University is one of the top schools for Women's Golf (Division I), at #3. Located in Kalamazoo, MI, Western Michigan University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,346, with expenses of about $49,346 per participant. The school awards about $19,248 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Michigan University is one of the top schools for Women's Golf (Division I), at #4. Located in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Eastern Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $87,605, with expenses of about $87,605 per participant. The school awards about $16,547 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oakland University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf (Division I). This public school is set in Rochester Hills, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. The program generates about $35,175 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $35,175 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,959.
Central Michigan University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division I). This public school is set in Mount Pleasant, MI. Central Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $66,016, against $66,016 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,123.
University of Detroit Mercy landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Detroit, MI. University of Detroit Mercy records an NCAA APR of 964, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. About 88% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $29,532 per participant, compared with $29,532 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,135.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.