by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 6 programs for Women’s Golf (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Jump to the options below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found St. John's University-New York to be the best college for Women's Golf (Division I) in New York. Based in Queens, NY, St. John's University-New York is a private not-for-profit institution. St. John's University-New York records an NCAA APR of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Team revenue averages $69,443 per participant, compared with $69,443 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $29,040 per athlete.
Hofstra University is one of the top schools for Women's Golf (Division I), at #2. Hofstra University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hempstead, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 63%. Team revenue averages $30,600 per participant, compared with $30,600 spent per athlete. The school awards about $22,514 in athletic aid per athlete.
University at Albany ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division I). Based in Albany, NY, University at Albany is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,574, compared with $54,648 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,856 in athletic aid per athlete.
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division I). Based in New York, NY, Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Team revenue averages $46,331 per participant, with expenses of about $46,331 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Niagara University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Niagara University, NY, Niagara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 971, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $21,398 per participant, against $21,398 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $17,462 per athlete.
Wagner College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Staten Island, NY, Wagner College is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 83%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,335, against $19,335 in expenses. The school awards about $15,661 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.