by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 20 schools for Women’s Golf 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:
Leading the list is Vanderbilt University, our #1 college for Women's Golf. Located in Nashville, TN, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Vanderbilt University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. The program generates about $214,738 in revenue per athlete, against $214,738 in expenses. The school awards about $42,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rhodes College earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Memphis, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,620, with expenses of about $21,620 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Belmont University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Golf. Located in Nashville, TN, Belmont University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Team revenue averages $58,891 per participant, compared with $58,891 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,742 per athlete.
Lipscomb University is one of the top schools for Women's Golf, at #4. Located in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $76,474, against $76,474 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,176 per athlete.
Union University is one of the top schools for Women's Golf, at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jackson, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,232, against $15,627 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,895.
University of Memphis landed the #6 spot this year. University of Memphis is a public school based in Memphis, TN. University of Memphis records an NCAA APR of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $85,434 per participant, compared with $85,434 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,106.
Tennessee Technological University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Tennessee Technological University is a public school based in Cookeville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $34,145 in revenue per athlete, compared with $34,145 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,453 in athletic aid per athlete.
Austin Peay State University landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Clarksville, TN, Austin Peay State University 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 100%. The program generates about $49,453 in revenue per athlete, against $49,453 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,483 per athlete.
Middle Tennessee State University landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in Murfreesboro, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $54,563 in revenue per athlete, compared with $54,563 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,110 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lee University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Lee University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cleveland, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,733, compared with $31,733 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,272 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville came in at #11 in this year's ranking. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public school based in Knoxville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 985, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,699, with expenses of about $221,564 per participant. The school awards about $29,054 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tennessee State University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Tennessee State University is a public school based in Nashville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Team revenue averages $34,956 per participant, with expenses of about $34,956 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,651.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Located in Chattanooga, TN, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. Team revenue averages $86,946 per participant, with expenses of about $86,946 per participant. The school awards about $13,025 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christian Brothers University landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Memphis, TN, Christian Brothers University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $24,873 per participant, against $28,965 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,833.
Lincoln Memorial University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Harrogate, TN, Lincoln Memorial University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $30,425 per participant, compared with $30,444 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,449 per athlete.
East Tennessee State University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Based in Johnson City, TN, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 981, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $56,800, with expenses of about $56,800 per participant. The school awards about $11,444 in athletic aid per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Nashville, TN, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,326, with expenses of about $21,326 per participant. The school awards about $5,766 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carson-Newman University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. Located in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,085, with expenses of about $29,092 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,904.
King University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Golf. King University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,040, against $46,351 in expenses. The school awards about $7,932 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tusculum University landed the #20 spot this year. Tusculum University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greeneville, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,611, with expenses of about $17,799 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,457 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.