Finding the Right Fit: A Guide to Good D1 Soccer Colleges
For student-athletes with aspirations of competing at an elite level, NCAA Division 1 (D1) men’s soccer programs often represent the pinnacle of collegiate athletic competition. These programs draw highly skilled and dedicated athletes who were typically star players on their high school and club teams. Currently, there are 205 NCAA D1 men’s soccer colleges across the United States.
Understanding D1 Men's Soccer
D1 men's soccer programs can offer scholarships, though it's important to note that not all programs are fully funded. The culmination of the season is the NCAA D1 men’s soccer championship, known as the College Cup, a 48-team tournament that commences in November and concludes with the championship game in early December.
Navigating the landscape of D1 soccer colleges requires careful consideration. It's not solely about finding a school with a strong athletics program; student-athletes must also identify an institution that aligns with their academic, social, and financial needs.
Key Factors in Choosing a D1 Soccer College
College Factual has developed its Best Colleges for Division I Women's Soccer ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision. After analyzing 306 schools in the United States, we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for D1 Women's Soccer athletes. Our ranking methodology focuses a number of different objective factors - such as the overall quality of the school, the school's athletic competitiveness, and the amount of athletic aid per student - to make this determination. Having a great sports team is not enough - the school must also focus on academic excellence.
NCSA’s Power Rankings assess D1 colleges with men’s soccer programs based on factors like cost, academics, and size. These rankings provide a holistic view, aiding student-athletes in their decision-making process.
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Top D1 Women's Soccer Colleges: A Glimpse
Here's a look at some of the top colleges for D1 Women's Soccer athletes, based on a recent analysis:
Stanford University: Located in Stanford, California, this private not-for-profit institution boasts a 5 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio, fostering close interactions between students and professors. The D1 Women’s Soccer team at Stanford made $2,459,334 in revenue.
Duke University: Situated in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school. Duke brought in $2,382,842 while tallying up $2,155,584 in expenses for its D1 Women’s Soccer team. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $227,258 in profit. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1.
Northwestern University: Northwestern, with a freshman retention rate of 99%, excels at retaining its students. The D1 Women’s Soccer team at Northwestern brought home $105,999 in revenue in a single year.
University of Southern California: USC, located in Los Angeles, California, has an impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, potentially allowing for more personalized attention for students. Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at USC took home $2,239,953 in revenue.
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Rice University: Rice University, located in Houston, Texas, has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, demonstrating a commitment to undergraduate success. The D1 Women’s Soccer team at Rice brought home $1,634,211 in revenue in a single year.
University of Virginia - Main Campus: The D1 Women’s Soccer team at University of Virginia took home $2,031,563 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%.
Southern Methodist University: On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at SMU made $2,739,179 in revenue. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Furman University: Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Georgetown University: On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Georgetown made $1,548,535 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%.
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Vanderbilt University: On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Vanderbilt made $3,434,615 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%.
Wake Forest University: On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Wake Forest University made $2,401,811 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%.
Texas A&M University - College Station: On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Texas A&M College Station made $3,692,841 in revenue. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Pepperdine University: On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Pepperdine made $1,750,390 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%.
University of Notre Dame: Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Notre Dame took home $2,152,113 in revenue. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Brigham Young University - Provo: On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at BYU made $1,998,119 in revenue. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Loyola Marymount University: Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Loyola Marymount took home $1,585,057 in revenue. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Texas Christian University: The D1 Women’s Soccer team at TCU made $2,954,824 in revenue, while incurring $2,942,092 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $12,732. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Florida State University: On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Florida State made $678,757 in revenue. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
University of California - Los Angeles: The D1 Women’s Soccer team at UCLA brought home $2,024,480 in revenue in a single year. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
University of Connecticut: On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at UCONN made $1,249,955 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%.
University of Florida: Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at UF took home $27,247 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%.
University of Denver: Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at DU took home $1,676,184 in revenue.
Northeastern University: The D1 Women’s Soccer team at Northeastern brought home $1,399,412 in revenue in a single year. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Saint Joseph’s University: On the financial side of things, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at St. Joe’s made $1,095,444 in revenue. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Boston College: Speaking financially, the D1 Women’s Soccer team at Boston College took home $1,749,995 in revenue. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%.
Additional D1 Soccer Programs
Beyond the top-ranked institutions, numerous other colleges and universities offer D1 men's soccer programs. These include:
- American University (Washington, District Of Columbia)
- Bellarmine University (Louisville, Kentucky)
- Belmont University (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts)
- Boston University (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, Ohio)
- Bradley University (Peoria, Illinois)
- Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island)
- Bryant University (Smithfield, Rhode Island)
- Bucknell University (Lewisburg, Pennsylvania)
- Butler University (Indianapolis, Indiana)
- California Baptist University (Riverside, California)
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, California)
- California State University-Bakersfield (Bakersfield, California)
- California State University-Fullerton (Fullerton, California)
- California State University-Northridge (Northridge, California)
- California State University-Sacramento (Sacramento, California)
- Campbell University (Buies Creek, North Carolina)
- Canisius College (Buffalo, New York)
- Central Connecticut State University (New Britain, Connecticut)
- Chicago State University (Chicago, Illinois)
- Clemson University (Clemson, South Carolina)
- Cleveland State University (Cleveland, Ohio)
- Coastal Carolina University (Conway, South Carolina)
- Colgate University (Hamilton, New York)
- College of Charleston (Charleston, South Carolina)
- College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Massachusetts)
- Columbia University in the City of New York (New York, New York)
- Cornell University (Ithaca, New York)
- Creighton University (Omaha, Nebraska)
- Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire)
- Davidson College (Davidson, North Carolina)
- DePaul University (Chicago, Illinois)
- Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa)
- Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Duke University (Durham, North Carolina)
- Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, Tennessee)
- Eastern Illinois University (Charleston, Illinois)
- Elon University (Elon, North Carolina)
- Fairfield University (Fairfield, Connecticut)
- Fairleigh Dickinson University (Teaneck, New Jersey)
- Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, Florida)
- Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers, Florida)
- Florida International University (Miami, Florida)
- Fordham University (Bronx, New York)
- Grand Canyon University (Saint George, Utah)
- Furman University (Greenville, South Carolina)
- Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, North Carolina)
- George Mason University (Fairfax, Virginia)
- George Washington University (Washington, District Of Columbia)
- Georgetown University (Washington, District Of Columbia)
- Georgia Southern University (Statesboro, Georgia)
- Georgia State University (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Gonzaga University (Spokane, Washington)
- Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, Arizona)
- Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
- High Point University (High Point, North Carolina)
- Hofstra University (Hempstead, New York)
- Houston Christian University (Houston, Texas)
- Howard University (Washington, District Of Columbia)
- Indiana University Bloomington (Bloomington, Indiana)
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (Indianapolis, Indiana)
- Iona University (New Rochelle, New York)
- Jacksonville University (Jacksonville, Florida)
- James Madison University (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
- La Salle University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Lafayette College (Easton, Pennsylvania)
- Le Moyne College (Syracuse, New York)
- Lehigh University (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)
- Liberty University (Lynchburg, Virginia)
- Lindenwood University (Saint Charles, Missouri)
- Lipscomb University (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Long Island University (Long Island, New York)
- Longwood University (Farmville, Virginia)
- Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, California)
- Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, Illinois)
- Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland)
- Manhattan College (Riverdale, New York)
- Marist College (Poughkeepsie, New York)
- Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
- Marshall University (Huntington, West Virginia)
- Mercer University (Macon, Georgia)
- Mercyhurst University (Erie, Pennsylvania)
- Merrimack College (North Andover, Massachusetts)
- Michigan State University (East Lansing, Michigan)
- Missouri State University (Springfield, Missouri)
- Monmouth University (West Long Branch, New Jersey)
- Mount St. Mary's University (Emmitsburg, Maryland)
- New Jersey Institute of Technology (Newark, New Jersey)
- Niagara University (Niagara University, New York)
- North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina)
- Northeastern University (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Northern Illinois University (Dekalb, Illinois)
- Northern Kentucky University (Highland Heights, Kentucky)
- Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois)
- Oakland University (Rochester Hills, Michigan)
- Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio)
- Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Virginia)
- Oral Roberts University (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
- Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon)
- Pennsylvania State University (University Park, Pennsylvania)
- Presbyterian College (Clinton, South Carolina)
- Princeton University (Princeton, New Jersey)
- Providence College (Providence, Rhode Island)
- Purdue University Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
- Queens University of Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina)
- Quinnipiac University (Hamden, Connecticut)
- Radford University (Radford, Virginia)
- Rider University (Lawrenceville, New Jersey)
- Robert Morris University (Moon Township, Pennsylvania)
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick (Piscataway, New Jersey)
- Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, Connecticut)
- Saint Joseph's University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
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