by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 178 schools for Women’s Golf 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Emory University this year for Women's Golf. Based in Atlanta, GA, Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $28,403 per participant, with expenses of about $22,755 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Washington and Lee University is one of the top schools for Women's Golf, at #2. Located in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $20,704 per participant, against $20,704 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rollins College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Winter Park, FL, Rollins College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,069, with expenses of about $73,069 per participant. The school awards about $11,632 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rhodes College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Memphis, TN, Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $21,620 per participant, with expenses of about $21,620 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Duke University is one of the top schools for Women's Golf, at #5. Based in Durham, NC, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution. Duke University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $214,423 in revenue per athlete, compared with $212,092 spent per athlete. The school awards about $34,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
Vanderbilt University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $214,738, against $214,738 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $42,235 per athlete.
Nova Southeastern University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $51,524, compared with $51,524 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,636.
Christopher Newport University landed the #8 spot this year. Christopher Newport University is a public school based in Newport News, VA. The program generates about $20,154 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $20,154 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Tulane University of Louisiana came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in New Orleans, LA, Tulane University of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $243,125, compared with $107,000 spent per athlete. The school awards about $36,413 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eckerd College placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Located in Saint Petersburg, FL, Eckerd College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,097, against $45,097 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,706.
Centre College placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. This private not-for-profit school is set in Danville, KY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,523, compared with $12,524 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Based in Charlottesville, VA, University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $150,528 in revenue per athlete, against $150,528 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,976.
Berry College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Berry College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mount Berry, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,852, against $25,507 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Clemson University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Clemson University is a public school based in Clemson, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. The program generates about $147,728 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $147,728 per participant. The school awards about $21,730 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Richmond came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in University of Richmond, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $88,522, against $88,522 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $27,609 per athlete.
The University of Alabama came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Tuscaloosa, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $227,012, compared with $227,012 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,760.
University of Miami came in at #17 in this year's ranking. University of Miami is a private not-for-profit school based in Coral Gables, FL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. The program generates about $183,237 in revenue per athlete, against $183,237 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $38,474.
Union University landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $22,232 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,627 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,895.
University of Kentucky ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Based in Lexington, KY, University of Kentucky is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $132,685, with expenses of about $132,685 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,921.
Wake Forest University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit school based in Winston-Salem, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 75%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $251,996 per participant, compared with $251,996 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $38,933 per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College landed the #21 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ashland, VA. Team revenue averages $14,017 per participant, against $12,355 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Florida Southern College did well this year, earning the #22 position. Based in Lakeland, FL, Florida Southern College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $47,996 per participant, with expenses of about $47,996 per participant. The school awards about $8,785 in athletic aid per athlete.
James Madison University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. This public school is set in Harrisonburg, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Team revenue averages $104,389 per participant, with expenses of about $104,389 per participant. The school awards about $19,945 in athletic aid per athlete.
Harding University did well this year, earning the #24 position. Located in Searcy, AR, Harding University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,875, compared with $23,489 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,216.
Mississippi State University placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Located in Mississippi State, MS, Mississippi State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 89%. The program generates about $195,967 in revenue per athlete, compared with $195,967 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,143.
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. 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.