by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 28 programs 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
James Madison University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Located in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution. James Madison University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,076, with expenses of about $55,076 per participant. The school awards about $19,945 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Charlottesville, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $56,639 in revenue per athlete, against $56,639 in expenses. The school awards about $26,976 in athletic aid per athlete.
Washington and Lee University is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer, at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lexington, VA. The program generates about $9,381 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,381 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Liberty University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Soccer. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lynchburg, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,864, against $49,864 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,589.
Christopher Newport University landed the #5 spot for Men's Soccer. This public school is set in Newport News, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,790, compared with $10,790 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
George Mason University did well this year, earning the #6 position. George Mason University is a public school based in Fairfax, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,839, with expenses of about $37,839 per participant. The school awards about $11,956 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Commonwealth University did well this year, earning the #7 position. This public school is set in Richmond, VA. Virginia Commonwealth University records an NCAA APR of 978, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $41,255 in revenue per athlete, compared with $41,255 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,187 in athletic aid per athlete.
William & Mary ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. William & Mary is a public school based in Williamsburg, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 82%. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,055, against $35,972 in expenses. The school awards about $15,943 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Blacksburg, VA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, and a 84% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. Team revenue averages $9,753 per participant, with expenses of about $72,006 per participant. The school awards about $29,706 in athletic aid per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College placed #10 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ashland, VA. Team revenue averages $5,616 per participant, compared with $5,307 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Mary Washington did well this year, earning the #11 position. This public school is set in Fredericksburg, VA. The program generates about $5,957 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $5,945 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Shenandoah University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Based in Winchester, VA, Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,212 in revenue per athlete, against $5,212 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Roanoke College landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Salem, VA, Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,921, against $5,921 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Lynchburg landed the #14 spot this year. University of Lynchburg is a private not-for-profit school based in Lynchburg, VA. The program generates about $6,003 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,003 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Longwood University landed the #15 spot this year. This public school is set in Farmville, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 80%. Its federal graduation rate is 38%. The program generates about $28,756 in revenue per athlete, against $30,851 in expenses. The school awards about $17,569 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Military Institute placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Virginia Military Institute is a public school based in Lexington, VA. Virginia Military Institute records an NCAA APR of 965, with a Graduation Success Rate of 65%. Its federal graduation rate is 55%. The program generates about $19,430 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $19,430 per participant. The school awards about $11,028 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emory & Henry University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Emory, VA, Emory & Henry University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,480 per participant, against $7,480 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,871.
Old Dominion University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Norfolk, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 950, with a Graduation Success Rate of 56%. About 21% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $34,122 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $34,122 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,728.
Radford University placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Located in Radford, VA, Radford University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 973, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. About 23% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,418, with expenses of about $10,418 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,467 per athlete.
Mary Baldwin University placed #20 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. This private not-for-profit school is set in Staunton, VA. The program generates about $4,373 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,373 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Regent University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Located in Virginia Beach, VA, Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,181, compared with $2,181 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Eastern Mennonite University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. This private not-for-profit school is set in Harrisonburg, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,020, compared with $5,020 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Virginia State University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Virginia State University is a public school based in Petersburg, VA. Team revenue averages $11,589 per participant, with expenses of about $11,589 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,082 per athlete.
Virginia Wesleyan University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Men's Soccer. Located in Virginia Beach, VA, Virginia Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,854 per participant, with expenses of about $4,854 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Randolph College landed the #25 spot this year. Based in Lynchburg, VA, Randolph College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,546 in revenue per athlete, against $3,546 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.