by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 161 schools for Men’s Soccer 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Duke University to be the best college for Men's Soccer in the Southeast Region. Duke University is a private not-for-profit school based in Durham, NC. Duke University records an NCAA APR of 988, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Team revenue averages $69,942 per participant, with expenses of about $80,673 per participant. Athletic aid averages $34,321 per athlete.
Clemson University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Men's Soccer. Based in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution. Clemson University records an NCAA APR of 997, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. About 53% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $105,408 per participant, against $105,408 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,730 per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Men's Soccer. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $56,639 in revenue per athlete, against $56,639 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $26,976 per athlete.
James Madison University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Team revenue averages $55,076 per participant, against $55,076 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,945.
Emory University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Based in Atlanta, GA, Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,230, compared with $9,751 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wake Forest University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Winston-Salem, NC, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, alongside a GSR of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 53%. Team revenue averages $97,661 per participant, against $97,661 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $38,933 per athlete.
Liberty University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lynchburg, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. Team revenue averages $49,864 per participant, against $49,864 in expenses. The school awards about $16,589 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Florida did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Tampa, FL, University of South Florida is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 61%. The program generates about $52,639 in revenue per athlete, compared with $52,639 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,287 per athlete.
Washington and Lee University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,381, with expenses of about $9,381 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Davidson College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Based in Davidson, NC, Davidson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 93% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $23,293 per participant, against $25,811 in expenses. The school awards about $9,830 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elon University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Elon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Elon, NC. Elon University records an NCAA APR of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $41,323 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $41,323 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,795.
Mercer University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Macon, GA, Mercer University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 59% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,896, compared with $26,896 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,898 per athlete.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh did well this year, earning the #13 position. North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public school based in Raleigh, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, alongside a GSR of 90%. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. Team revenue averages $34,400 per participant, compared with $63,730 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,384.
Union University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Based in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,905, compared with $25,867 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,895 per athlete.
Furman University placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Furman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greenville, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, alongside a GSR of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Team revenue averages $38,422 per participant, against $38,422 in expenses. The school awards about $28,699 in athletic aid per athlete.
Georgia State University landed the #16 spot this year. Georgia State University is a public school based in Atlanta, GA. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $33,573 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $33,573 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,875.
George Mason University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Based in Fairfax, VA, George Mason University is a public institution. George Mason University records an NCAA APR of 991, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $37,839 per participant, against $37,839 in expenses. The school awards about $11,956 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida International University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Based in Miami, FL, Florida International University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, alongside a GSR of 95%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. The program generates about $45,055 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $45,055 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,058.
University of Kentucky landed the #19 spot this year. University of Kentucky is a public school based in Lexington, KY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 979, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 52% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $84,567, compared with $84,567 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $23,921 per athlete.
Christopher Newport University placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. This public school is set in Newport News, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,790, against $10,790 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rollins College did well this year, earning the #21 position. Rollins College is a private not-for-profit school based in Winter Park, FL. Team revenue averages $20,767 per participant, compared with $20,767 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,632.
Rhodes College came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Based in Memphis, TN, Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,252, compared with $7,252 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school based in Richmond, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Team revenue averages $41,255 per participant, compared with $41,255 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,187.
Nova Southeastern University did well this year, earning the #24 position. Based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $25,100 per participant, against $25,100 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,636 per athlete.
William & Mary ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Located in Williamsburg, VA, William & Mary is a public institution. William & Mary records an NCAA APR of 990, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,055, with expenses of about $35,972 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.