Top 100 Men’s Soccer Colleges Currently – Ranked !
College Soccer, especially men’s soccer, has evolved into a highly competitive tournament. These colleges span across various NCAA Divisions, each with its unique level of competition and scholarship opportunities. A lot of these colleges have been contributing to the growth of the sport, committing to the development of the student-athlete. In this article, we try to rank the top hundred men’s soccer colleges based on the following ranking factors
Ranking Factors:
Team Performance: How good the soccer team of the university performs.
Recruitment Success: How successful the college recruitment is.
Institutional support: How the institute supports its student-athletes to develop on all fronts.
Top 100 Men’s Soccer Colleges
| Ranking | College | NCAA Division |
| 1 | Stanford University | 1 |
| 2 | Princeton University | 1 |
| 3 | Harvard University | 1 |
| 4 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT | 3 |
| 5 | Columbia University | 1 |
| 6 | Yale University | 1 |
| 7 | University of Pennsylvania – Penn | 1 |
| 8 | University of California – Los Angeles – UCLA | 1 |
| 9 | Johns Hopkins University | 3 |
| 10 | University of California – Berkeley | 1 |
| 11 | University of Michigan | 1 |
| 12 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 1 |
| 13 | University of Virginia | 1 |
| 14 | Duke University | 1 |
| 15 | Brown University | 1 |
| 16 | Georgetown University | 1 |
| 17 | Northwestern University | 1 |
| 18 | University of Chicago | 3 |
| 19 | University of Wisconsin | 1 |
| 20 | University of Notre Dame | 1 |
| 21 | University of California – San Diego | 1 |
| 22 | Cornell University | 1 |
| 23 | Ohio State University | 1 |
| 24 | University of California – Santa Barbara | 1 |
| 25 | University of Washington | 1 |
| 26 | University of California – Davis | 1 |
| 27 | University of California – Irvine | 1 |
| 28 | University of Maryland | 1 |
| 29 | William & Mary | 1 |
| 30 | Dartmouth College | 1 |
| 31 | Wake Forest University | 1 |
| 32 | Michigan State University | 1 |
| 33 | Virginia Tech | 1 |
| 34 | North Carolina State University | 1 |
| 35 | United States Naval Academy | 1 |
| 36 | Boston University | 1 |
| 37 | Emory University | 3 |
| 38 | Rutgers University | 1 |
| 39 | Clemson University | 1 |
| 40 | University of Massachusetts – Amherst | 1 |
| 41 | Indiana University | 1 |
| 42 | Tufts University | 3 |
| 43 | Boston College | 1 |
| 44 | Villanova University | 1 |
| 45 | Washington University in St. Louis | 3 |
| 46 | Amherst College | 3 |
| 47 | University of Connecticut | 1 |
| 48 | University of Pittsburgh | 1 |
| 49 | Northeastern University | 1 |
| 50 | Davidson College | 1 |
| 51 | University of South Florida | 1 |
| 52 | Williams College | 3 |
| 53 | Carnegie Mellon University | 3 |
| 54 | United States Air Force Academy | 1 |
| 55 | Lehigh University | 1 |
| 56 | University of Rochester | 3 |
| 57 | Syracuse University | 1 |
| 58 | University of Delaware | 1 |
| 59 | San Diego State University | 1 |
| 60 | University of Central Florida | 1 |
| 61 | New York University | 3 |
| 62 | California Institute of Technology | 3 |
| 63 | Gonzaga University | 1 |
| 64 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges | 3 |
| 65 | University of South Carolina | 1 |
| 66 | Santa Clara University | 1 |
| 67 | Colgate University | 1 |
| 68 | Bowdoin College | 3 |
| 69 | George Washington University | 1 |
| 70 | United States Military Academy | 1 |
| 71 | University of San Diego | 1 |
| 72 | University of California – Riverside | 1 |
| 73 | Penn State | 1 |
| 74 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges | 3 |
| 75 | James Madison University | 1 |
| 76 | Washington & Lee University | 3 |
| 77 | Swarthmore College | 3 |
| 78 | Marquette University | 1 |
| 79 | Southern Methodist University – SMU | 1 |
| 80 | Colorado School of Mines | 2 |
| 81 | Elon University | 1 |
| 82 | Fordham University | 1 |
| 83 | University of California – Santa Cruz | 3 |
| 84 | Saint Louis University | 1 |
| 85 | Florida International University | 1 |
| 86 | University of St. Thomas – Minnesota | 1 |
| 87 | California State University – Fullerton | 1 |
| 88 | Temple University | 1 |
| 89 | University of Dayton | 1 |
| 90 | Case Western Reserve University | 3 |
| 91 | University of Kentucky | 1 |
| 92 | California Polytechnic State University | 1 |
| 93 | Middlebury College | 3 |
| 94 | Loyola Marymount University | 1 |
| 95 | College of the Holy Cross | 1 |
| 96 | University of Denver | 1 |
| 97 | Oregon State University | 1 |
| 98 | Wesleyan University | 3 |
| 99 | Creighton University | 1 |
| 100 | University of New Hampshire | 1 |
Notable Mens Soccer Colleges in the United States of America
While there are multiple colleges in America where one can have a successful career, the following colleges have contributed immensely to the growth of the sport. Some of the institutes are not just the best in the country, but the best in the world. Here is a deep insight into a few of these prestigious colleges.
10. University of California – Berkeley
This prestigious university was founded in 1868 and named after the great philosopher George Berkeley. It is the state’s first land-grant university and is the founding campus of the University of California system. The students of this university students compete in thirty varsity athletic sports, and has produced some of the best talents in the country.
Also Read: Top 10 Best English Soccer Players Of All Time- Ranked
9. Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins Blue Jays, name of the team that represents the soccer division of John Hopkins University, compete in the third division of NCAA. The university has a rich history, winning the Centennial Conference Team championships nine times in men’s soccer. The team has reached the NCAA tournament 12 times in the program’s history. The team is currently on a streak of 16 winning seasons and has had over 20 All-American selections.
8. University of California – Los Angeles – UCLA
UCLA Bruins men’s soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of the University of California at Los Angeles. The Bruins never had a consecutive streak of national championships, but they’ve recorded four since 1959. Their first national championship, in 1985, was won 1-0 over American after an incredible eight overtime periods. Their next championship, in 1990, took four overtime periods to win. They were also runner-ups five times in the Division I Championship.
7. University of Pennsylvania – Penn
A private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, this university has excelled in the field of sports. Nicknamed Quakers, The Penn Quakers soccer team has a rich history in Ivy League tournament, winning the entire thing ten times. They have also held the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association ten times.
6. Yale University
Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The Yale Bulldogs men’s soccer program represents Yale University in all NCAA Division I competitions. The trophy cabinet is stellar, winning six men’s varsity soccer national championships and seven Conference championships.
5. Columbia University
An iconic institute of the country and the oldest institution of higher education in New York, Columbia is one of the top dogs. The Columbia Lions men’s soccer team have won ten Ivy League Championships and have made fourteen NCAA tournament appearances. Their coach Kevin Anderson, has played professional football in the highest level of American soccer, Major League Soccer (MLS) with Colorado Rapids and the Tampa Bay Mutiny.
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT
A private university renowned for having played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology or MIT has a very good sports programme, named MIT Engineers football program. MIT’s intercollegiate athletics program ranks among the most accomplished in the NCAA’s Division III, on and off the field.
3. Harvard University
Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Its influence, wealth, and rankings have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Harvard is one of the most successful teams of the Ivy League, having won 13 championships. In the pre-NCAA era, Harvard also won 4 Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association (ISFA) championship titles. There have been some notable alumni to have played for this team including John Catliff, Shep Messing and Ross Friedman.
2. Princeton University
Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. The Princeton Tigers men’s soccer team is one of the oldest active soccer clubs in the United States, playing their first official match in November 1906. The team was once coached by former U.S. national team coach and former Swansea City manager, Bob Bradley. Their honours are immense, winning the Ivy League tournament eleven times and the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association eight times.
1. Stanford University
It may have taken the Cardinal until 2015 to win its first men’s soccer national championship, but Stanford quickly turned into one of DI men’s soccer’s all-time dynasties winning every year from 2015 to 2017. The Cardinal made it back to the quarterfinals in 2018, losing out to eventual national runners-up Akron, and should be right back in the mix for years to come. USMNT player Jordan Morris has also played for the soccer team of this prestigious university.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Black Soccer Players Of All Time
Q: What are the top men’s soccer colleges in the U.S.?
A: Stanford, Princeton and Harvard are the top men’s soccer colleges in the U.S.
Q: How are men’s soccer colleges ranked?
A: Men’s soccer colleges are ranked based on team performance, recruitment success and institutional support.
Q: Can international students play college soccer in the U.S.?
A: Yes, international students play college soccer in the U.S. if they meet the criteria set by NCAA.
Q: Which is the best men’s soccer college in the world?
A: Stanford University is the best men’s soccer college in the world.
Q: Which college has the most NCAA men’s soccer championships?
A: St. Louis has the most NCAA men’s soccer championships?