If you’re a young, aspiring golf player looking to go pro, the best chance you have is choosing a college with a fantastic golf program. With so many to choose from, the decision process may be difficult. This guide will provide you with all the help you need as we explore all the possible golf colleges, big and small.
Topics in this guide include:
- Factors to consider before selecting or applying to colleges
- The top golf colleges for men
- The top golf colleges for women
- Smaller golf colleges
Factors to Consider Before Selecting or Applying to Colleges
Before you go applying to colleges with great golf programs, it's best to look at what the schools have to offer for you. That way you can find the one that is the perfect fit for your future golfing career.
Your golfing skills
The fierce competition to get into a prolific, top-tier golf college require your golfing skills to be strong. If you feel as though your physical and mental skills aren't up to par for those high-ranking schools, you might consider a lower-ranking school.
Academic offerings
An important aspect to consider is the academic offerings the college provides for student athletes. Especially if you want more than just the college golf experience, paying attention to a university’s academic offerings may pivot your decision. See if your academic plans will match up as well, and if they don’t, keep looking at the others on the list.
Tuition costs
Money might be an important issue regarding what school to apply to. Be aware that some schools, regardless of their division, are higher than what you are capable of paying. Also take into consideration the financial aid and scholarships the school has to offer that could help lower the cost of tuition and fees.
Your personal goals
If you are interested in pursuing a career in golf, there is the option of majoring in golf specific majors that will boost your chance in the industry. The PGA Professional Golf Management program provides a variety of subjects to major in, within select schools.
There are 18 accredited schools in the program. They include:
- Campbell University
- Coastal Carolina University
- Eastern Kentucky University
- Ferris State University
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Methodist University
- Mississippi State University
- New Mexico State University
- North Carolina State University
- Penn State University
- Sam Houston State University
- University of Central Oklahoma
- University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
- University of Idaho
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- University of Nebraska, Lincoln
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas
dThe Top Golf Colleges for Men
Stanford University
Not only does Stanford University hold eight NCAA Championships, it is also the alma mater of none other than Tiger Woods himself.
Stanford is one of the most appealing choices for aspiring golfers, especially in recent years. The only downfall is that Stanford has the highest tuition costs compared to other schools on the list.
University of Florida
The Florida Gators hold onto four NCAA titles, the last one being in 2001. Apart from that feat, they have 49 players that have achieved All-American Honors.
Andy North, winner of two U.S. Opens and several other golfing events, is an alumni of the University of Florida.
If you’re interested in a high-quality golfing facility, the Mark Bostick Golf Course is the university’s $4 million dollar golfing venue.
University of Houston
The University of Houston has the most NCAA titles out of all Division 1 schools with 16, though the team has not won one since 1985. They do have a more affordable tuition, costing between $11,000 and $27,000.
Oklahoma State University
It is without a doubt that Oklahoma State University is one of the best golf universities with their eleven NCAA titles. Three of them have come just from the past 25 years. In the past 75 years, they have only missed qualifying for the championships once.
Their tuition is expected to be around $13,000 after financial aid.
Louisiana State University (LSU)
With three NCAA individual national champions, LSU has had many players go on to be successful golfers. Particularly, David Toms, who has gone on to win the 2011 PGA Championship as well as 13 PGA Tour events.
Their tuition is quite admirable with their respectable record, as the costs come to $26,000.
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest acquired a total of three NCAA titles in 1974, 1975, and 1986. They are the only university with three titles.
Their golfing program is elite with their world-class Arnold Palmer Golf Complex, named after the famed alumni and golfer.
Although, the tuition costs are quite large, hitting over $64,000.
University of North Texas (UNT)
The North Texas Mean Greens do have four NCAA titles, however they have not won one since 1952. But they are still up there with the schools with the highest amount of wins in total.
If you plan on attending, you should expect tuition costs to be around $27,000.
The University of Texas
In recent years, the Texas Longhorns have improved their wins, their most recent being in 2022.
Notable golfers from the university include Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, and Justin Leonard. All three have won individual national championships.
Tuition cost is expected to be around $38,000, one of the higher prices on the list.
The University of Alabama
The Crimson Tide possess two NCAA titles as well as five SEC Tournament Championship titles. Through the selective recruitment of Coach Jay Seawell and astonishing facilities, the school is able to be a strong contender for young golfers.
Plus, Alabama has some of the lower tuition costs, with fees coming to about $12,000.
Augusta University
One of the most honorable aspects about Augusta University is their back-to-back NCAA wins in 2010 and 2011.
They also have low tuition costs, costing about $15,000 after aid.
The Top Golf Colleges for Women
Arizona State University
Arizona State currently acquires eight NCAA Championships in women’s golf, the most of any school. Compared to other schools, ASU’s tuition is not as high as other colleges on the list, averaging about $12,000 per year.
Their golf facilities are distinctly some of the best, consisting of the Thunderbird Golf Complex and the Phil and Amy Mickelson Player Development Practice Facility.
Stanford University
Both the men’s and women’s golf teams achieve great success at Stanford. And the success has come in recent years, with a win in 2015 and a win in 2022.
Unfortunately, the tuition cost is about $53,000.
University of Washington
The Huskies’ most respectable accomplishment is winning the 2016 NCAA title over Stanford. Another thing they have over Stanford is lower tuition costs, with the price being around $32,000.
University of Florida
Though the team hasn’t had much recent success, the University of Florida team has two back-to-back championships in 1985 and 1986.
The team is now led by alumni and former player, Emily Glaser. She has led the team into six championships out of her ten years coaching.
Duke
Despite the extremely high tuition prices, Duke does have one of the best golf programs in the country. The school has seven NCAA title wins in total, six of post-2000. They are even the university’s highest achieving sports team!
The University of Arizona
ASU is not the only great golf school in Arizona. The University of Arizona, with notable alumni like Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sörenstam, has three NCAA Championship titles. Apart from the wins, they have collectively been in the championships every year since 1987.
San Jose State University
The San Jose Spartans are one of the more affordable colleges for women’s golf, with a yearly cost of $23,000. They have three NCAA titles and several finishes in the top-3 positions. Though they haven’t won a championship since 1992, they still rank high in recent years, ranking 3rd in 2022.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
The women’s golf team at UCLA have won more titles than the men’s team, winning on three occasions.
Two of the school’s players – Bronte Law and Alison Lee – have won one of the top honors in women’s golf, the ANNIKA award.
University of Southern California (USC)
A few winners have come out of USC, including Jennifer Rosales and Dewi Claire Schreefel. Overall, the USC women’s golf team has had the most success at the school, winning the university’s first NCAA title back in 2003. They had since won two more in 2008 and 2013, as well as some top-four placements.
Northwestern University
This private D1 university does have high tuition costs, but they still have an impressive women’s golf program. They have also achieved recent success, placing second in the Big Ten Championship and getting a spot in the 2023 NCAA Championship.
Coach Emily Fletcher has won several honors in her 15 years as coach, earning the Big Ten Coach of the Year award five times.
Smaller Golf Colleges
If you don't think you have a chance at the big D1 schools, you can look into smaller schools in the D2 and D3 rankings. These schools have great golf programs and will still fulfill your college golf dreams.
For men:
Division 2 schools include:
- Rollins University
- Bentley University
- Florida Southern University
- Colorado School of Mines
- Western Washington University
Division 3 schools include:
- Emory University
- Washington & Lee University
- Amherst College
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Williams College
For women:
Division 2 schools include:
- Rollins College
- Truman State University
- Anderson University (SC)
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Grand Valley State University
Division 3 schools include:
- Emory University
- Amherst College
- Williams College
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Carnegie Mellon University
Now it’s time to start swinging!
Now that you’ve all the colleges with amazing golf programs, you can start to set your sights on which one is the perfect fit for you. But sure to look deep into what works for your skills and future career path. Then you can be on track to become the next best professional golf player.
