by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 43 colleges for Women’s Golf by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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:
No school ranked higher than Carnegie Mellon University this year for Women's Golf. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,035 in revenue per athlete, against $17,722 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Duquesne University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Pittsburgh, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,053, with expenses of about $44,053 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,755.
Franklin and Marshall College landed the #3 spot for Women's Golf. Based in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,693 per participant, with expenses of about $7,214 per participant. The school awards about $53 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus earned the #4 place for student athletes. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is a public school based in University Park, PA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $32,798 per participant, against $87,565 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,170.
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf. Located in Philadelphia, PA, Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000. The program generates about $16,848 in revenue per athlete, against $16,848 in expenses. The school awards about $13,694 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gettysburg College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Based in Gettysburg, PA, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,908, with expenses of about $5,908 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Elizabethtown College landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Elizabethtown, PA. Team revenue averages $8,415 per participant, with expenses of about $8,415 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Muhlenberg College placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Allentown, PA. The program generates about $6,747 in revenue per athlete, against $6,747 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bucknell University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Bucknell University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lewisburg, PA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Team revenue averages $28,499 per participant, with expenses of about $28,499 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,655.
Dickinson College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Carlisle, PA, Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,720 in revenue per athlete, against $2,418 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Scranton did well this year, earning the #11 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Scranton, PA. Team revenue averages $3,463 per participant, with expenses of about $3,463 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Thomas Jefferson University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Philadelphia, PA. Team revenue averages $18,703 per participant, compared with $18,703 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,341 per athlete.
Gannon University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Erie, PA. Team revenue averages $18,003 per participant, compared with $18,003 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,313 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lehigh University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Based in Bethlehem, PA, Lehigh University is a private not-for-profit institution. Lehigh University records an NCAA APR of 989, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $49,943 in revenue per athlete, compared with $49,943 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,391 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Based in West Chester, PA, West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public institution. The program generates about $13,814 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,991 per participant. The school awards about $2,168 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Vincent College placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Latrobe, PA. Team revenue averages $8,518 per participant, with expenses of about $8,518 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Susquehanna University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Based in Selinsgrove, PA, Susquehanna University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,471 per participant, against $5,471 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ursinus College did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in Collegeville, PA, Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,380 per participant, compared with $3,380 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Seton Hill University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Seton Hill University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greensburg, PA. The program generates about $9,798 in revenue per athlete, against $9,798 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,657.
Lebanon Valley College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Based in Annville, PA, Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,483, compared with $4,483 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Mercyhurst University did well this year, earning the #21 position. Located in Erie, PA, Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Mercyhurst University posts a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,989, compared with $14,989 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,194 in athletic aid per athlete.
Allegheny College came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Located in Meadville, PA, Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,947 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,947 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Pennsylvania placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Located in Philadelphia, PA, University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Team revenue averages $25,169 per participant, against $25,169 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Juniata College ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Based in Huntingdon, PA, Juniata College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,430 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,540 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Francis University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Located in Loretto, PA, Saint Francis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Saint Francis University posts a 89% Graduation Success Rate. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $33,259 in revenue per athlete, compared with $33,259 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,253.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.