by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 17 colleges 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Carleton College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Golf. Located in Northfield, MN, Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,728, with expenses of about $10,977 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Macalester College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Macalester College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,038, compared with $9,009 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is one of the top schools for Women's Golf, at #3. Based in Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a public institution. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities records an NCAA APR of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Team revenue averages $19,090 per participant, against $120,440 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,174.
St Olaf College landed the #4 spot for Women's Golf. St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit school based in Northfield, MN. The program generates about $7,168 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,168 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Located in Saint Peter, MN, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,783, with expenses of about $7,783 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Catherine University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Saint Paul, MN, St Catherine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,409, with expenses of about $12,409 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Winona State University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Winona State University is a public school based in Winona, MN. The program generates about $10,462 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,462 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,907.
Martin Luther College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in New Ulm, MN, Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,084, with expenses of about $4,084 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Northwestern-St Paul landed the #9 spot this year. University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $6,547 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,547 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Minnesota State University Moorhead landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Moorhead, MN, Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,826, compared with $14,826 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,722 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Crookston landed the #11 spot this year. Located in Crookston, MN, University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public institution. Team revenue averages $19,930 per participant, with expenses of about $19,930 per participant. The school awards about $7,101 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bemidji State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Bemidji State University is a public school based in Bemidji, MN. Team revenue averages $7,999 per participant, with expenses of about $7,999 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,153.
Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #13 spot this year. Southwest Minnesota State University is a public school based in Marshall, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,697, against $25,697 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,980 per athlete.
North Central University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Golf. Located in Minneapolis, MN, North Central University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,181, with expenses of about $2,181 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $49.
Bethany Lutheran College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit school based in Mankato, MN. The program generates about $7,552 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,499 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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.