by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 12 schools for Women’s Golf (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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:
University of Miami tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division I). Located in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $183,237 in revenue per athlete, compared with $183,237 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $38,474 per athlete.
University of Central Florida came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf (Division I). University of Central Florida is a public school based in Orlando, FL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $140,613 in revenue per athlete, compared with $140,613 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,195.
University of Florida earned the #3 place for student athletes. University of Florida is a public school based in Gainesville, FL. University of Florida records an NCAA APR of 993, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,758, with expenses of about $102,680 per participant. Athletic aid averages $23,180 per athlete.
Florida State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf (Division I). Located in Tallahassee, FL, Florida State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. The program generates about $127,570 in revenue per athlete, against $127,570 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,364.
University of South Florida landed the #5 spot for Women's Golf (Division I). University of South Florida is a public school based in Tampa, FL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $107,361 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $107,361 per participant. The school awards about $15,287 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida Gulf Coast University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Fort Myers, FL, Florida Gulf Coast University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,602, compared with $41,602 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,812.
University of North Florida placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division I). Based in Jacksonville, FL, University of North Florida is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Team revenue averages $74,807 per participant, with expenses of about $74,807 per participant. The school awards about $8,675 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida Atlantic University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division I). Florida Atlantic University is a public school based in Boca Raton, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 38% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $52,405 per participant, against $52,405 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,971.
Florida International University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Miami, FL, Florida International University is a public institution. Florida International University records an NCAA APR of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $53,304, with expenses of about $53,304 per participant. The school awards about $16,058 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stetson University landed the #10 spot this year. Based in DeLand, FL, Stetson University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $62,271 per participant, compared with $62,271 spent per athlete. The school awards about $17,035 in athletic aid per athlete.
Jacksonville University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division I). Jacksonville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Jacksonville, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 980, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Team revenue averages $49,932 per participant, compared with $49,932 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,287 per athlete.
Bethune-Cookman University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division I). Bethune-Cookman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Daytona Beach, FL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 988, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 20%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $38,599, compared with $38,599 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,940.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.