BEST VALUE UNIVERSITIES FOR GOLFERS

Choosing a college can be a challenging time for students when considering all the factors that affect a decision. Between career choices and tuition rates, throwing a varsity sport into the mix makes the process even trickier.

If you’ve golfed competitively up until high school graduation, chances are you’re going to want to pursue golf in college and may even be looking for golf scholarships. Division I golf teams are very competitive and many of these universities have competitive admission processes as well.

We gathered data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association and College Scorecard to form a list of best value universities for students hoping to join a Division I golf team. Although we’ve ranked these institutions by best value using our choice of criteria, students should thoroughly research options to determine the best university for their specific situation.

Criteria To Determine Best Value

Top 100 Golf Teams – NCAA Rankings of the Top 100 Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams
Average Cost of Attendance – College Scorecard calculates this metric by adding the advertised tuition fees, average living costs, and subtracting the average financial aid. For public schools the average cost is calculated for in-state students.
Average earnings 6 years post enrollment
Average earnings 10 years post enrollment – Both these metrics are gathered by College Scorecard and are determined by former students’ (who received federal financial aid) median earnings 10 years after enrolling at the institution.

Top 25 Best Value Universities for Female Golfers

We compared data for the top 100 universities with a Division I women’s golf team to determine which schools would give golfers the best value education paired with the opportunity to be part of a Division I women’s golf team.

University of Texas – Texas
University of Florida – Florida
Augusta University – Georgia
Stanford University – California
Wake Forest University – North Carolina
Duke University – North Carolina
University of Southern California – California
University of Illinois – Illinois
Vanderbilt University – Tennessee
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – Virginia
University of California Los Angeles – California
Texas Tech University – Texas
University of Virginia – Virginia
Texas A&M University - Texas
University of Houston - Texas
University of Maryland - Maryland
San Jose State University - California
University of Washington - Washington
Michigan State University - Michigan
North Carolina State University – North Carolina
University of Miami - Florida
University of Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Iowa State University - Iowa
Purdue University - Indiana
Arizona State University - Arizona

Top 25 Best Value Universities for Male Golfers

After gathering data on institutions with the top 100 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Teams, the following schools were determined to offer students the best value education and the option to join the men’s golf team.

Georgia Institute of Technology - Georgia
Texas Tech University - Texas
Duke University – North Carolina
University of Notre Dame - Indiana
University of Texas - Texas
University of North Carolina – North Carolina
University of Washington – Washington
Texas A&M University - Texas
Wake Forest University – North Carolina
University of Florida - Florida
Stanford University - California
Augusta University - Georgia
University of Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Southern Methodist University - Texas
Pepperdine University - California
Vanderbilt University - Tennessee
University of California at Los Angeles - California
University of Utah - Utah
University of California at Berkeley - California
Purdue University - Indiana
Northwestern University - Illinois
University of Houston
University of Southern California
University of Illinois
University of Georgia

Although choosing a university can be daunting, it is an exciting time for prospective students who want to pursue golf on a college level. Competitive golfers can look forward to playing on quality courses and receiving top notch coaching during their studies, and there are numerous benefits to being part of a university sports team. Playing on a Division I team may be unattainable for some golfers, but there are many quality Division 2, Division 3, and club teams that enable students to continue golfing while they pursue a higher education.

For now, we hope compiling data on Division I schools has given prospective students good insight and guidance into their educational and golf choices.

Best Value University Standings with a Women’s Golf Team

RANK	INSTITUTION	GOLF RANKING	COST OF ATTENDANCE	6 YR EARNINGS	10 YR EARNINGS
1	University of Texas	1	24933	52200	73900
2	University of Florida	9	21164	47700	65700
3	Augusta University	52	17946	52300	70600
4	Stanford University	6	66696	92800	141300
5	Wake Forest University	4	66440	62900	79600
6	Duke University	12	69169	93200	114500
7	University of Southern California	5	69547	61400	88800
8	University of Illinois	14	30064	52300	70900
9	Vanderbilt University	19	64654	61900	86200
10	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	22	25762	50400	67100
11	University of California Los Angeles	20	33751	52000	73200
12	Texas Tech University	26	22615	46800	61600
13	University of Virginia	43	31186	56800	79400
14	Texas A&M University	35	12926	41000	60000
15	University of Houston	23	24678	47100	60600
16	University of Maryland	45	25701	50100	70800
17	San Jose State University	44	23030	47200	63800
18	University of Washington	51	25360	50300	69600
19	Michigan State University	13	27006	45200	63200
20	North Carolina State University	33	22844	45000	59500
21	University of Miami	39	62810	54500	72900
22	University of Oklahoma	30	27205	48600	61900
23	Iowa State University	40	19878	44000	56000
24	Purdue University	70	22718	49000	62200
25	Arizona State University	2	24353	42200	55500
26	University of Pennsylvania	63	69340	91200	131600
27	Northwestern University	56	70317	71900	93400
28	University of Wisconsin Madison	68	25121	49600	68000
29	Pepperdine University	46	68352	54100	77600
30	University of Mississippi	11	23606	41300	56600
31	University of California - Berkeley	77	36172	57600	79000
32	University of Notre Dame	74	67043	69700	98400
33	University of San Francisco	65	63117	58500	74000
34	Clemson University	34	28545	48100	58900
35	University of Michigan	49	19323	41800	56200
36	Yale University	76	68950	67800	124400
37	University of Georgia	38	26022	45200	59100
38	University of South Carolina	8	26079	43900	53900
39	University of Arkansas	18	22122	40900	52700
40	California Polytechnic	98	25960	54700	74300
41	University of Arizona	7	26080	41800	56000
42	Texas Christian University	47	60135	50300	62600
43	North Carolina State University	69	22844	45000	59500
44	San Diego State University	48	21051	41600	55900
45	University of Denver	50	61824	49000	65400
46	Baylor University	25	59063	46600	58400
47	California State University-Sacramento	64	18989	41800	54200
48	Florida State University	27	22426	39700	53900
49	Indiana University	55	24739	44200	57800
50	Oregon State Univeristy	32	26121	42700	56700
51	University of Central Florida	36	20950	39900	51200
52	University of Kentucky	21	27215	43500	54000
53	Rutgers University	80	29550	48200	68100
54	University of California Davis	66	34435	45300	68100
55	University of Oregon	17	24570	39800	51300
56	University of North Carolina Charlotte	24	21882	38600	50300
57	Washington State University	59	25433	44700	56600
58	Auburn University	31	30458	43100	56300
59	Oklahoma State University	15	12178	32500	39300
60	University of Alabama	10	24129	39400	48400
61	Seton Hall University	72	53433	48200	63700
62	University of Colorado Boulder	54	29215	42700	59700
63	Tulane University	86	66898	48400	86300
64	Furman	28	62661	41400	59700
65	Louisiana State University	16	13983	30400	36700
66	Kennesaw State Univiversity	62	23919	35000	65300
67	Ohio State University	41	25498	41500	53600
68	University of Tennessee	42	30226	41600	56700
69	Brigham Young University	57	11833	35600	49400
70	Gonzaga University	91	55181	49400	63800
71	University of Nevada	90	21142	41600	56300
72	University of Kansas	97	24824	45100	59300
73	Kent State University	3	24064	33500	42400
74	University of North Texas	53	21907	39300	49300
75	University of Nevada Las Vegas	81	16964	39300	49600
76	Mississippi State University	29	23483	37100	47400
77	University of Missouri-Columbia	83	25656	42700	56600
78	Texas State University	78	21383	40600	51100
79	Penn State University	79	35518	43600	57200
80	Kansas State University	84	23262	41400	51900
81	California State University-Fresno	82	16205	37200	48500
82	California State University Fullerton	99	17529	38500	51800
83	University of Louisville	37	25728	38200	48600
84	Old Dominion University	61	23250	38300	48700
85	University of South Florida	89	19868	39400	48500
86	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	87	23278	39900	52700
87	University of Texas San Antonio	93	19906	38800	49600
88	East Carolina University	71	21102	37300	45800
89	Mercer University	75	50080	40400	58200
90	University of Tennesee Chattanooga	60	21748	33900	42600
91	Campbell University	67	45558	38700	58000
92	University of North Florida	95	20854	37500	49200
93	New Mexico State University	85	17124	29700	40300
94	University of New Mexico	92	18937	32600	43900
95	Middle Tennessee State University	94	20405	33600	44400
96	Troy University	100	18585	34300	41100
97	Coastal Carolina University	73	23999	33500	44500
98	University of Charleston	58	40161	39100	46800
99	Western Kentucky University	96	18993	30800	38600
100	Stetson University	88	57961	36500	51800

Best Value University Standings with a Men’s Golf Team

Rank	INSTITUTION	GOLF RANKING	COST OF ATTENDANCE	6 YR EARNINGS	10 YR EARNINGS
1	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus	3	27245	66100	85900
2	Texas Tech University	2	22615	46800	61600
3	Duke University	7	69169	93200	114500
4	University of Notre Dame	8	67043	69700	98400
5	University of Texas	25	24933	52200	73900
6	University of North Carolina	16	24872	49900	68800
7	University of Washington	17	25360	50300	69600
8	Texas A&M University	13	12926	41000	60000
9	Wake Forest University	9	66440	62900	79600
10	University of Florida	42	21164	47700	65700
11	Stanford University	27	66696	92800	141300
12	Augusta University	82	17946	52300	70600
13	University of Oklahoma	1	27205	48600	61900
14	Southern Methodist University	14	69358	68100	77900
15	Pepperdine University	6	68352	54100	77600
16	Vanderbilt University	23	64654	61900	86200
17	University of California-Los Angeles	18	33751	52000	73200
18	University of Utah	57	19406	47200	63500
19	University of California - Berkeley	34	36172	57600	79000
20	Purdue University	52	22718	49000	62200
21	Northwestern University	39	70317	71900	93400
22	University of Houston	31	24678	47100	60600
23	University of Southern California	43	69547	61400	88800
24	University of Illinois	50	30064	52300	70900
25	University of Georgia	19	26022	45200	59100
26	San Jose State University	64	23030	47200	63800
27	Clemson University	24	28545	48100	58900
28	James Madison University	49	24750	46100	63300
29	University of Kansas	37	24824	45100	59300
30	Arizona State University	10	24353	42200	55500
31	University of Iowa	81	21875	47700	62000
32	Brigham Young University	4	11833	35600	49400
33	North Carolina State University	56	22844	45000	59500
34	Baylor University	12	59063	46600	58400
35	University of San Francisco	63	63117	58500	74000
36	University of Arkansas	20	22122	40900	52700
37	Santa Clara University	76	65334	63900	85300
38	Marquette University	65	52916	54000	70700
39	Oregon State University	22	26121	42700	56700
40	San Diego State University	45	21051	41600	55900
41	Colorado State University	5	24290	39900	53400
42	CSU - Long Beach University	44	18104	40000	53000
43	University of Arizona	11	26080	41800	56000
44	University of Minnesota	55	25790	46000	61200
45	University of Mississippi	35	23606	41300	56600
46	Rutgers University	75	29550	48200	68100
47	Auburn University	21	30458	43100	56300
48	University of Central Florida	38	20950	39900	51200
49	University of South Carolina	32	26079	43900	53900
50	Iowa State University	84	19878	44000	56000
51	Michigan State University	69	27006	45200	63200
52	University of Nevada	66	21142	41600	56300
53	West Virginia University	48	20702	39300	52700
54	University of South Florida	40	19868	39400	48500
55	University of San Diego	91	62710	54800	71100
56	University of Missouri - Kansas City	96	21120	44400	57200
57	Texas Christian University	73	60135	50300	62600
58	University of North Florida	30	20854	37500	49200
59	University of Tennessee	28	30226	41600	56700
60	University of Michigan	87	19323	41800	56200
61	University of California - Davis	83	34435	45300	68100
62	Indiana University	88	24739	44200	57800
63	Florida State University	60	22426	39700	53900
64	California State University -Fullerton	72	17529	38500	51800
65	University of Nevada - Las Vegas	77	16964	39300	49600
66	Louisiana State University	29	13983	30400	36700
67	University of Louisville	15	25728	38200	48600
68	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	51	21882	38600	50300
69	University of Denver	98	61824	49000	65400
70	University of New Mexico	36	18937	32600	43900
71	Ohio State University	58	25498	41500	53600
72	University of Alabama	41	24129	39400	48400
73	University of Missouri	86	25656	42700	56600
74	University of Colorado	85	29215	42700	59700
75	University of Alabama	53	28836	42400	51600
76	East Tennessee State University	26	21904	32700	40600
77	Pennsylvania State University	78	35518	43600	57200
78	Oklahoma State University	54	12178	32500	39300
79	Campbell University	47	45558	38700	58000
80	Illinois State University	67	28197	41600	51600
81	Florida Atlantic University	93	18593	38800	48300
82	East Carolina University	70	21102	37300	45800
83	Sam Houston State University	97	20791	39300	49700
84	Boise State University	79	18284	35600	43100
85	Arkansas State University	46	20952	30900	36600
86	Saint Mary's University	62	43897	42600	50400
87	University of Kentucky	99	27215	43500	54000
88	University of Memphis	59	22201	35100	43200
89	University of North Carolina at Greensboro	71	19276	33100	40900
90	University of Oregon	95	24570	39800	51300
91	University of Arkansas at Little Rock	68	21377	34600	39500
92	University of South Alabama	100	18857	35100	46800
93	Mississippi State University	80	23483	37100	47400
94	Miami University-Oxford	90	30420	40800	55400
95	Kent State	61	24064	33500	42400
96	Liberty University	33	37388	35800	41400
97	Georgia Southern University	92	22467	36800	46100
98	Coastal Carolina University	74	23999	33500	44500
99	Ball State University	94	23468	35300	44600
100	University of Charleston	89	40161	39100	46800

Source: Data on the cost of attendance and post university earnings were gathered from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard datasets.