by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 18 colleges 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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Leading the list is Clemson University, our #1 college for Men's Soccer. Clemson University is a public school based in Clemson, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 997, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. The program generates about $105,408 in revenue per athlete, compared with $105,408 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,730.
Furman University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Located in Greenville, SC, Furman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Furman University records an NCAA APR of 989, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $38,422 in revenue per athlete, against $38,422 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,699.
University of South Carolina-Columbia ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. This public school is set in Columbia, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 59%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $74,062, with expenses of about $74,062 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,645 per athlete.
North Greenville University is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer, at #4. Located in Tigerville, SC, North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,527 per participant, compared with $15,692 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,158 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wofford College landed the #5 spot for Men's Soccer. Based in Spartanburg, SC, Wofford College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 52% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $25,175 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $25,175 per participant. The school awards about $26,368 in athletic aid per athlete.
College of Charleston placed #6 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Based in Charleston, SC, College of Charleston is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 65% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,574, with expenses of about $29,574 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,551.
Coastal Carolina University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Based in Conway, SC, Coastal Carolina University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 966, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 0%. The program generates about $45,423 in revenue per athlete, compared with $45,423 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,875 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lander University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Greenwood, SC, Lander University is a public institution. The program generates about $14,850 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,586 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,383.
University of South Carolina-Upstate did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Spartanburg, SC, University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 981, alongside a GSR of 84%. About 22% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $15,555 per participant, with expenses of about $15,555 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,411 per athlete.
Presbyterian College placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Based in Clinton, SC, Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 967, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 27%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,760, compared with $17,760 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,454 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southern Wesleyan University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Central, SC. Team revenue averages $9,910 per participant, against $9,910 in expenses. The school awards about $5,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
Erskine College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Erskine College is a private not-for-profit school based in Due West, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,727, against $10,727 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,924.
Converse University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Spartanburg, SC, Converse University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,525 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,431 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,241 per athlete.
Winthrop University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in Rock Hill, SC, Winthrop University is a public institution. Winthrop University records an NCAA APR of 976, and a 87% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,554, compared with $13,554 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,244 per athlete.
University of South Carolina Aiken placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Based in Aiken, SC, University of South Carolina Aiken is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,632, against $10,632 in expenses. The school awards about $8,318 in athletic aid per athlete.
Newberry College landed the #16 spot this year. Newberry College is a private not-for-profit school based in Newberry, SC. Team revenue averages $8,768 per participant, compared with $8,824 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,596 in athletic aid per athlete.
Francis Marion University landed the #17 spot this year. This public school is set in Florence, SC. Team revenue averages $10,032 per participant, compared with $10,032 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,654 in athletic aid per athlete.
Coker University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Based in Hartsville, SC, Coker University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,564, with expenses of about $3,365 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,938 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
See our data sources and methodologies.