by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 21 programs for Women’s Golf by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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No school ranked higher than Grand Valley State University this year for Women's Golf. Grand Valley State University is a public school based in Allendale, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $59,959, against $59,959 in expenses. The school awards about $6,088 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kalamazoo College landed the #2 spot for Women's Golf. Based in Kalamazoo, MI, Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,911 per participant, with expenses of about $9,911 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hope College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf. Located in Holland, MI, Hope College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,643 in revenue per athlete, against $3,643 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is one of the top schools for Women's Golf, at #4. This public school is set in Ann Arbor, MI. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. The program generates about $28,042 in revenue per athlete, against $131,690 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,650.
Calvin University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. The program generates about $9,683 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,683 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Michigan State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Located in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $186,469, with expenses of about $186,469 per participant. The school awards about $22,500 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwood University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Northwood University is a private not-for-profit school based in Midland, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,866, with expenses of about $27,866 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,948.
Western Michigan University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Based in Kalamazoo, MI, Western Michigan University 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 83%. The program generates about $49,346 in revenue per athlete, compared with $49,346 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,248 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oakland University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Rochester Hills, MI, Oakland University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 88% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,175, compared with $35,175 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,959 in athletic aid per athlete.
Central Michigan University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Located in Mount Pleasant, MI, Central Michigan University 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 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $66,016, against $66,016 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,123 per athlete.
Eastern Michigan University landed the #11 spot this year. Eastern Michigan University is a public school based in Ypsilanti, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Team revenue averages $87,605 per participant, against $87,605 in expenses. The school awards about $16,547 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Superior State University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Based in Sault Ste Marie, MI, Lake Superior State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,033, with expenses of about $27,033 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,276 per athlete.
Alma College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Alma, MI, Alma College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,672 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,672 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Detroit Mercy landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Detroit, MI, University of Detroit Mercy is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 964, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 88%. The program generates about $29,532 in revenue per athlete, compared with $29,532 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,135.
Albion College landed the #15 spot this year. Located in Albion, MI, Albion College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,073 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $11,049 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Michigan University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Marquette, MI, Northern Michigan University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $29,277 per participant, against $29,165 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,323 per athlete.
Adrian College landed the #17 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Adrian, MI. Team revenue averages $10,326 per participant, with expenses of about $10,326 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Based in University Center, MI, Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,845, against $17,845 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,118 per athlete.
Ferris State University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Big Rapids, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,253, against $21,253 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,572.
Davenport University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Based in Grand Rapids, MI, Davenport University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,206, compared with $17,206 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,850.
The University of Olivet ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Located in Olivet, MI, The University of Olivet is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,718 in revenue per athlete, against $6,718 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.