by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 8 colleges for Women’s Golf (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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University of Virginia-Main Campus earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Golf (Division I). University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $150,528 per participant, against $150,528 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $26,976 per athlete.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University landed the #2 spot for Women's Golf (Division I). Based in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public institution. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 78%. Team revenue averages $33,798 per participant, compared with $173,419 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,706.
University of Richmond ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division I). University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit school based in University of Richmond, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $88,522 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $88,522 per participant. The school awards about $27,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
James Madison University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf (Division I). This public school is set in Harrisonburg, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $104,389, against $104,389 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,945.
Old Dominion University landed the #5 spot for Women's Golf (Division I). Old Dominion University is a public school based in Norfolk, VA. Old Dominion University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $93,496 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $93,496 per participant. The school awards about $24,728 in athletic aid per athlete.
William & Mary placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division I). William & Mary is a public school based in Williamsburg, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 89% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $116,618 in revenue per athlete, against $25,601 in expenses. The school awards about $15,943 in athletic aid per athlete.
Longwood University landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Farmville, VA, Longwood University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,576, against $68,525 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $17,569 per athlete.
Radford University landed the #8 spot this year. Radford University is a public school based in Radford, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $33,310 per participant, against $33,310 in expenses. The school awards about $8,467 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. 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.