by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 14 schools for Women’s Golf (Division III) 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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No school ranked higher than University of California-Santa Cruz this year for Women's Golf (Division III). Located in Santa Cruz, CA, University of California-Santa Cruz is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,443, against $35,443 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chapman University is one of the top schools for Women's Golf (Division III), at #2. Located in Orange, CA, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,653, compared with $15,653 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Whitman College landed the #3 spot for Women's Golf (Division III). Whitman College is a private not-for-profit school based in Walla Walla, WA. The program generates about $15,305 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,696 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Occidental College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf (Division III). Located in Los Angeles, CA, Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,137, against $7,910 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
California Lutheran University landed the #5 spot for Women's Golf (Division III). Located in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,159, against $15,159 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lewis & Clark College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division III). Located in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $17,110 per participant, with expenses of about $17,110 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Redlands ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division III). Located in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $25,302 per participant, compared with $22,375 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
George Fox University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf (Division III). George Fox University is a private not-for-profit school based in Newberg, OR. The program generates about $18,177 in revenue per athlete, against $16,692 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Whitworth University landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spokane, WA. The program generates about $15,058 in revenue per athlete, against $13,929 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of La Verne placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division III). University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit school based in La Verne, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,030, against $12,339 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Puget Sound came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tacoma, WA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,266, with expenses of about $7,266 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Linfield University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Golf (Division III). Located in McMinnville, OR, Linfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,455 in revenue per athlete, against $7,658 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*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.