by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 13 colleges for Men’s Soccer by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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.
Not quite what you need? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Macalester College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Based in Saint Paul, MN, Macalester College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,492 per participant, against $7,632 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Carleton College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Carleton College is a private not-for-profit school based in Northfield, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,537, compared with $4,567 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Olaf College is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer, at #3. Located in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,282 in revenue per athlete, against $5,282 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Gustavus Adolphus College is one of the top schools for Men's Soccer, at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Peter, MN. Team revenue averages $4,960 per participant, with expenses of about $4,960 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Winona, MN, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,862 in revenue per athlete, against $3,862 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Martin Luther College landed the #6 spot this year. Martin Luther College is a private not-for-profit school based in New Ulm, MN. Team revenue averages $1,956 per participant, with expenses of about $1,956 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Cloud State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Saint Cloud, MN, Saint Cloud State University is a public institution. The program generates about $9,814 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,814 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,426 per athlete.
North Central University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Minneapolis, MN, North Central University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $3,965 in revenue per athlete, against $3,965 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $49 per athlete.
University of Northwestern-St Paul placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Soccer. Located in Saint Paul, MN, University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $1,801 per participant, compared with $1,801 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Augsburg University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit school based in Minneapolis, MN. The program generates about $5,353 in revenue per athlete, against $5,353 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Morris did well this year, earning the #11 position. This public school is set in Morris, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,915, with expenses of about $3,853 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College landed the #12 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mankato, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,576, with expenses of about $3,593 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hamline University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Saint Paul, MN, Hamline University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,016, compared with $3,016 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.