by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 11 schools for Women’s Golf (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Our analysis found Clemson University to be the best college for Women's Golf (Division I) in South Carolina. Based in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $147,728, against $147,728 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,730 per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Columbia ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division I). Located in Columbia, SC, University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public institution. University of South Carolina-Columbia records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Team revenue averages $192,536 per participant, with expenses of about $192,536 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,645.
Furman University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf (Division I). Based in Greenville, SC, Furman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $125,290, compared with $125,290 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,699.
College of Charleston came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf (Division I). Based in Charleston, SC, College of Charleston is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $72,444, with expenses of about $72,444 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,551 per athlete.
Wofford College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Spartanburg, SC, Wofford College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $84,203, compared with $84,203 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $26,368 per athlete.
Coastal Carolina University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division I). Coastal Carolina University is a public school based in Conway, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $88,551 per participant, with expenses of about $88,551 per participant. The school awards about $19,875 in athletic aid per athlete.
Charleston Southern University landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Charleston, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 50%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Team revenue averages $41,871 per participant, compared with $41,871 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,092 in athletic aid per athlete.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Charleston, SC, Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $58,013, compared with $44,074 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,439 in athletic aid per athlete.
Winthrop University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Winthrop University is a public school based in Rock Hill, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 90%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,130, with expenses of about $27,130 per participant. The school awards about $6,244 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Upstate came in at #10 in this year's ranking. University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public school based in Spartanburg, SC. The team's NCAA APR score is 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,074, with expenses of about $37,074 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,411 per athlete.
Presbyterian College landed the #11 spot this year. Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit school based in Clinton, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 972, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $31,153 per participant, compared with $31,153 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,454.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.