by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 8 colleges for Men’s Soccer (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
California Institute of Technology earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Soccer (Division III). Located in Pasadena, CA, California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,600 per participant, against $7,600 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Occidental College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Soccer (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Los Angeles, CA. Team revenue averages $7,851 per participant, compared with $6,010 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of California-Santa Cruz is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer (Division III), at #3. Based in Santa Cruz, CA, University of California-Santa Cruz is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,577, with expenses of about $11,577 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Chapman University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Orange, CA, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,244 per participant, compared with $5,244 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Redlands landed the #5 spot for Men's Soccer (Division III). Based in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,683 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,582 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
California Lutheran University placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division III). Located in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,070 in revenue per athlete, against $5,070 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of La Verne placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division III). Based in La Verne, CA, University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,729 in revenue per athlete, against $5,523 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Whittier College placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer (Division III). Based in Whittier, CA, Whittier College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,403 per participant, against $3,403 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.