by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 11 colleges for Men’s Soccer (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Use the shortcuts below.
Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is University of Virginia-Main Campus, our #1 college for Men's Soccer (Division I). Located in Charlottesville, VA, University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public institution. University of Virginia-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 992, alongside a GSR of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $56,639 per participant, with expenses of about $56,639 per participant. Athletic aid averages $26,976 per athlete.
James Madison University landed the #2 spot for Men's Soccer (Division I). This public school is set in Harrisonburg, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,076, against $55,076 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,945.
Liberty University is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer (Division I), at #3. Located in Lynchburg, VA, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. Team revenue averages $49,864 per participant, with expenses of about $49,864 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,589 per athlete.
Virginia Commonwealth University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school based in Richmond, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,255, against $41,255 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,187 per athlete.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, alongside a GSR of 84%. About 70% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $9,753 per participant, compared with $72,006 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $29,706 per athlete.
George Mason University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division I). This public school is set in Fairfax, VA. George Mason University records an NCAA APR of 991, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,839, against $37,839 in expenses. The school awards about $11,956 in athletic aid per athlete.
William & Mary came in at #7 in this year's ranking. William & Mary is a public school based in Williamsburg, VA. William & Mary records an NCAA APR of 990, alongside a GSR of 82%. About 81% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $39,055 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $35,972 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
Longwood University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer (Division I). Longwood University is a public school based in Farmville, VA. Longwood University records an NCAA APR of 985, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. The program generates about $28,756 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $30,851 per participant. The school awards about $17,569 in athletic aid per athlete.
Old Dominion University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer (Division I). Located in Norfolk, VA, Old Dominion University is a public institution. Old Dominion University records an NCAA APR of 950, and a 56% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 21%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,122, with expenses of about $34,122 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,728.
Virginia Military Institute landed the #10 spot this year. This public school is set in Lexington, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 965, with a Graduation Success Rate of 65%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,430, with expenses of about $19,430 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,028 per athlete.
Radford University landed the #11 spot this year. Based in Radford, VA, Radford University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, with a Graduation Success Rate of 82%. The federal graduation rate stands at 23%. The program generates about $10,418 in revenue per athlete, against $10,418 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,467.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.