by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 26 colleges for Women’s Golf (Division II) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Maryville University of Saint Louis tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Louis, MO. Team revenue averages $26,377 per participant, compared with $25,076 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,338.
Rockhurst University is one of the top schools for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States, at #2. Based in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,321, with expenses of about $17,321 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,130 per athlete.
Drury University landed the #3 spot for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,664, with expenses of about $20,664 per participant. The school awards about $8,859 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Missouri-St Louis earned the #4 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Saint Louis, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,307, compared with $34,858 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,395 per athlete.
University of Mary is one of the top schools for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States, at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bismarck, ND. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,084, with expenses of about $17,084 per participant. The school awards about $6,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwest Missouri State University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Maryville, MO, Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,830, with expenses of about $32,830 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,287 per athlete.
William Jewell College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Liberty, MO, William Jewell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,381 per participant, compared with $15,124 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,219.
Newman University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wichita, KS. Team revenue averages $19,825 per participant, compared with $19,825 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,192 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Nebraska at Kearney did well this year, earning the #9 position. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a public school based in Kearney, NE. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,909, against $18,828 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,590 per athlete.
Washburn University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Washburn University is a public school based in Topeka, KS. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,249, compared with $30,249 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,727 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Crookston landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Crookston, MN, University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,930, with expenses of about $19,930 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,101.
University of Central Missouri did well this year, earning the #12 position. This public school is set in Warrensburg, MO. Team revenue averages $42,677 per participant, with expenses of about $42,677 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,385.
University of Sioux Falls ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Sioux Falls, SD. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,718, with expenses of about $11,440 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,811 per athlete.
Truman State University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Kirksville, MO, Truman State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $6,250 per participant, with expenses of about $6,250 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,206.
Winona State University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Winona State University is a public school based in Winona, MN. The program generates about $10,462 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,462 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,907 in athletic aid per athlete.
Missouri Western State University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. Missouri Western State University is a public school based in Saint Joseph, MO. Team revenue averages $28,528 per participant, compared with $27,989 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,151.
Bemidji State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Bemidji, MN, Bemidji State University is a public institution. The program generates about $7,999 in revenue per athlete, against $7,999 in expenses. The school awards about $6,153 in athletic aid per athlete.
Minnesota State University Moorhead ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Moorhead, MN, Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution. Team revenue averages $14,826 per participant, with expenses of about $14,826 per participant. The school awards about $3,722 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fort Hays State University landed the #19 spot this year. Located in Hays, KS, Fort Hays State University is a public institution. The program generates about $12,915 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,915 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,057.
Southwest Minnesota State University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. Southwest Minnesota State University is a public school based in Marshall, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,697, with expenses of about $25,697 per participant. The school awards about $2,980 in athletic aid per athlete.
Missouri Southern State University landed the #21 spot this year. This public school is set in Joplin, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,325, with expenses of about $26,325 per participant. The school awards about $5,261 in athletic aid per athlete.
Upper Iowa University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fayette, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,607, compared with $16,329 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,035 in athletic aid per athlete.
Minot State University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Minot, ND, Minot State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $17,307 per participant, with expenses of about $17,307 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,491.
University of Jamestown landed the #24 spot this year. University of Jamestown is a private not-for-profit school based in Jamestown, ND. Team revenue averages $10,685 per participant, against $10,685 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,474.
Black Hills State University landed the #25 spot this year. Based in Spearfish, SD, Black Hills State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,035, against $17,891 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,363.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.