by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 22 colleges for Men’s Soccer (Division I) 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Stanford University this year for Men's Soccer (Division I). Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Stanford, CA. Stanford University records an NCAA APR of 997, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 95%. The program generates about $93,424 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $93,424 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
University of California-Los Angeles ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). This public school is set in Los Angeles, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. Team revenue averages $80,603 per participant, with expenses of about $80,603 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,306.
Santa Clara University landed the #3 spot for Men's Soccer (Division I). Located in Santa Clara, CA, Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, alongside a GSR of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $61,084, against $61,084 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,355.
University of San Francisco came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Soccer (Division I). University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit school based in San Francisco, CA. University of San Francisco records an NCAA APR of 982, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,501, against $50,501 in expenses. The school awards about $31,788 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of the Pacific came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Men's Soccer (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Stockton, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,749, against $46,749 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,596 per athlete.
Loyola Marymount University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer (Division I). Based in Los Angeles, CA, Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 90%. About 60% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,324, compared with $50,324 spent per athlete. The school awards about $40,056 in athletic aid per athlete.
San Diego State University placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). Located in San Diego, CA, San Diego State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 987, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $58,275, compared with $47,264 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,450.
University of California-Davis landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Davis, CA, University of California-Davis is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, alongside a GSR of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. The program generates about $29,258 in revenue per athlete, compared with $29,258 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,267 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Mary's College of California did well this year, earning the #9 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Moraga, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 62%. Team revenue averages $40,785 per participant, against $40,785 in expenses. The school awards about $18,999 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Berkeley came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Berkeley, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, alongside a GSR of 77%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. The program generates about $16,977 in revenue per athlete, compared with $37,551 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,267 per athlete.
University of San Diego landed the #11 spot this year. Based in San Diego, CA, University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit institution. University of San Diego records an NCAA APR of 969, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 91% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,186, with expenses of about $45,186 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,537.
University of California-San Diego did well this year, earning the #12 position. This public school is set in La Jolla, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $39,326 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $39,326 per participant. The school awards about $9,847 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Baptist University did well this year, earning the #13 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Riverside, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 977, alongside a GSR of 77%. Its federal graduation rate is 23%. Team revenue averages $53,179 per participant, compared with $48,039 spent per athlete. The school awards about $23,790 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Irvine placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). Based in Irvine, CA, University of California-Irvine is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 65%. The program generates about $34,911 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $34,911 per participant. The school awards about $13,955 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Riverside ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer (Division I). Located in Riverside, CA, University of California-Riverside is a public institution. University of California-Riverside records an NCAA APR of 983, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. Team revenue averages $34,673 per participant, with expenses of about $34,673 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,154.
California State University-Northridge came in at #16 in this year's ranking. California State University-Northridge is a public school based in Northridge, CA. California State University-Northridge records an NCAA APR of 965, with a Graduation Success Rate of 79%. About 47% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $42,134 in revenue per athlete, against $49,407 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,174 per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). This public school is set in Santa Barbara, CA. University of California-Santa Barbara records an NCAA APR of 961, with a Graduation Success Rate of 79%. About 43% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $43,557 per participant, compared with $43,557 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,355.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo did well this year, earning the #18 position. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a public school based in San Luis Obispo, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 963, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $27,225 per participant, against $27,225 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,344 per athlete.
San Jose State University landed the #19 spot this year. Based in San Jose, CA, San Jose State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 944, and a 67% Graduation Success Rate. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $26,294 per participant, with expenses of about $26,294 per participant. The school awards about $16,034 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Fullerton ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer (Division I). California State University-Fullerton is a public school based in Fullerton, CA. California State University-Fullerton records an NCAA APR of 952, alongside a GSR of 79%. Its federal graduation rate is 46%. The program generates about $38,880 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $38,880 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,497.
California State University-Sacramento placed #21 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). California State University-Sacramento is a public school based in Sacramento, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 977, and a 71% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 41%. The program generates about $21,010 in revenue per athlete, against $21,010 in expenses. The school awards about $11,560 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Bakersfield ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer (Division I). California State University-Bakersfield is a public school based in Bakersfield, CA. California State University-Bakersfield records an NCAA APR of 979, and a 73% Graduation Success Rate. About 23% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $27,529 in revenue per athlete, compared with $27,529 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,121 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.