by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 8 programs for Women’s Golf (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is University of Kentucky, our #1 college for Women's Golf (Division I). Located in Lexington, KY, University of Kentucky is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 88%. The program generates about $132,685 in revenue per athlete, compared with $132,685 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,921 per athlete.
University of Louisville came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf (Division I). University of Louisville is a public school based in Louisville, KY. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 62%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $188,008, compared with $129,692 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,083 per athlete.
Eastern Kentucky University is one of the top schools for Women's Golf (Division I), at #3. This public school is set in Richmond, KY. Eastern Kentucky University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $53,636, against $53,636 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,644.
Western Kentucky University landed the #4 spot for Women's Golf (Division I). Located in Bowling Green, KY, Western Kentucky University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $41,205 in revenue per athlete, against $41,205 in expenses. The school awards about $14,243 in athletic aid per athlete.
Murray State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Murray State University is a public school based in Murray, KY. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $49,681 in revenue per athlete, against $42,155 in expenses. The school awards about $11,774 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Kentucky University landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Highland Heights, KY, Northern Kentucky University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $31,905 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $31,905 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,809 per athlete.
Bellarmine University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Bellarmine University is a private not-for-profit school based in Louisville, KY. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,753, against $24,753 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,105 per athlete.
Morehead State University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division I). Morehead State University is a public school based in Morehead, KY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. The program generates about $39,760 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $39,791 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,170.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.