Congratulations on deciding to pursue college golf! Finding the right men’s golf program will take time and effort, but Junior Golf Hub is here to help you every step of the way (and even connect you with some of your top schools’ coaches with our app!).
The college golf recruiting process is a marathon during high school, but it’s well worth it in the end when you sign your National Letter of Intent (NLI). Once the ink is dry, you’re ready to kick off the next step of your golf career at a new place to call home.
Imagine a typical day as a college golfer in the spring season – you may have an early morning workout, interesting classes (that you get to choose!) and then golf practice the rest of the afternoon, all while hanging out with your teammates and classmates. Some of your weekends will be spent traveling to golf tournaments or playing qualifying rounds at your home course.
Now imagine all that hard work paying off and coming home with a national team title. That’s a huge accomplishment on the golf side, and there are other areas of college life to look forward to as well. These four or five years will be an exciting chapter, so let’s find the best men’s college golf program that paves a way to all your goals.
Which Men’s Golf Program is Right for Me?
It’s time to dive into colleges with men’s golf programs and pinpoint your top choices. With over 1,300 men’s college golf teams, there are plenty of avenues to explore.
When looking through these colleges, you’ll want to remember some of our tips from our College Golf Recruiting Guide, like noting location, academic priorities and career goals to name a few. While plenty of your time will be dedicated to golf, you’ll also have the opportunity to pursue your academic and social interests. What kind of experience are you looking for?
While it is fun (and sometimes nerve-wracking) to browse the men’s collegiate golf rankings, it’s important to remember rankings aren’t everything. Men’s college golf rankings do, however, give you an idea of how competitive it will be to be recruited to that school, especially in the NCAA Division 1 category. Top-ranked colleges may also have more funding for golf scholarships, but those will likely be very competitive as well.
Men’s Golf Scholarships
Fortunately, men’s golf scholarships can be found at almost every level in college golf, and if it’s hard to come by a golf scholarship, there are academic scholarships and grants to look into as well. The NCAA named golf an equivalency sport, meaning each team, depending on the eligible divisions, can have a limited number of scholarships and the coaches can then divide the money amongst many players.
Full-ride scholarships to a men’s golf program are extremely rare, though if scholarships are a driving factor in your school choice, check out our Golf Scholarships Guide on Junior Golf Hub to find the best division to be looking into for the highest probability of receiving a scholarship.
Every College with a Men’s Golf Program
Those 1,300+ men’s college golf teams mentioned earlier can be found organized by division rankings below. Whether you prioritize your list of dream schools by men’s collegiate golf rankings or not, the high-ranking choices are spelled out here, though we do have all available schools listed as well.
Men’s NCAA Division 1 Golf Programs
Division 1 golf schools with men’s programs are immensely popular and have produced some of the best players on the PGA Tour: Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and more.
Playing at the D1 level is possible despite its competitiveness. The best part is, there is a huge range of schools that fall under this umbrella: you can find yourself at a Division 1 school with 50,000 undergraduate students or at a Division 1 college with 6,000 classmates.
The current top 10 Men’s NCAA golf rankings for Division 1 teams are the following (as of May 2023):
- Vanderbilt University
- University of North Carolina
- University of Illinois
- Arizona State University
- Texas Tech
- Pepperdine University
- Florida State University
- Stanford University
- Oklahoma
- University of Florida
Men’s NCAA Division 2 Golf Programs
Division 2 golf schools with men’s programs are still a great place to look if you’re in the market for a competitive college golf career. The difference between the scoring averages of D1 and D2 schools is minimal, so if you find a college you like and there’s more opportunity for a scholarship, Division 2 college teams are a fantastic option.
The current top 10 Men’s NCAA golf rankings for Division 2 teams are the following (as of May 2023):
- Anderson University (SC)
- Barry University
- University of West Florida
- Lee University
- North Georgia
- Nova Southeastern University
- Grand Valley State University
- Georgia Southwestern State University
- Oklahoma Christian University
- Cal State San Marcos
Men’s NCAA Division 3 Golf Programs
Division 3 golf schools with men’ programs differ from the other NCAA divisions in that golf scholarships are not permitted. Again, the difference in playing level is negligible between D1 and D3 colleges, and many of these schools sport strong academic programs.
While D3 golf scholarships are unavailable, many student-athletes find more success with financial aid at this level than any other because there are a plethora of academic scholarships and grants available.
The current top 10 Men’s NCAA golf rankings for Division 3 teams are the following (as of May 2023):
- Emory University
- Christopher Newport University
- Methodist University
- Guilford College
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Claremont Mudd Scripps
- Piedmont University
- Wittenberg University
- Oglethorpe University
- Huntingdon College
Men’s NAIA Golf Programs
NAIA golf schools with men’s programs are typically smaller than what you see in the NCAA, though their playing level is still high and the chances of receiving a partial golf scholarship even higher.
NAIA golf colleges are a great option for those who started the college recruiting process later in high school – perhaps as a senior – since most NCAA schools determine their scholarship recipients by junior year.
The current top 10 men’s teams in the NAIA are the following (as of May 2023):
- Lindsey Wilson College
- Keiser University
- Dalton State
- Bellevue University
- College of Coastal GA
- USC Beaufort
- Taylor University
- OUAZ
- University of British Columbia
- Wayland Baptist University
Men’s NJCAA Division 1 and Division 2 Golf Programs
The NJCAA Division 1 and 2 golf schools with men’s programs provide student-athletes with the highest probability of receiving scholarship money as well as an extra year to prepare for a traditional college golf team experience.
Many golfers play on a NJCAA men’s golf team for one year and then transfer to an NCAA or NAIA program.
The current top 10 Division 1 Men’s NJCAA golf teams are the following (as of May 2023):
- Midland College
- Central Alabama Community College
- Hutchinson Community College
- Odessa Community College
- McLennan Community College
- Indian Hills Community College
- Eastern Florida State
- New Mexico Junior College
- Western Texas Community College
- Iowa Western Community College
The current top 10 Division 2 Men’s NJCAA golf teams are the following (as of May 2023):
- South Mountain Community College
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
- Glendale Community College
- Parkland Community College
- Mesa Community College
- Kirkwood Community College
- Iowa Central Community College
- Tyler Junior College
- Heartland Community College
- Meridian Community College
With so many levels of competition to choose from, there are plenty of opportunities to play on a men’s college golf team. It will take some time to filter through what you’re looking for in a golf program, but it will be worth all the effort when you sign your NLI and step on campus.