It is no secret that if you dream of turning your passion for soccer into a professional career, playing soccer at a college level is a huge deal. Playing college soccer also comes with a HUGE list of benefits. 

In this post, you will learn about 12 of the best soccer colleges in the US and hopefully, this helps you on your journey. These have been chosen as these are also the best colleges for soccer scholarships and receiving a scholarship for any of these colleges will set your career on the right path!

So without further ado, and in no particular order, here they are:

1. University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is one of the best colleges to consider as a soccer player, with impressive stats as evidence of its on-pitch excellence. It has men’s and women’s teams, the Virginia Cavaliers, which are standard features in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Virginia Cavaliers men’s soccer team continues to stamp its reputation as one of the USA’s elite college soccer teams. It holds the record for the most College Cup tournament appearances for 39 years and has seven NCAA championships.

Soccer Team	Virginia Cavaliers
Tuition fee	Average of $18,000 per year.
Scholarship information:	The University of Virginia has academic and need-based soccer scholarships. If you are in need or possibly from a disadvantaged background and have excellent academic performance and ability then you are in luck! The University of Virginia is one of the best colleges for soccer scholarships you can apply for. If you manage to get a scholarship you will be able to play for the Virginia Cavaliers and continue to excel in your academics.

2. Stanford University

Stanford has one of the best soccer teams in the PAC-12 Conference, with the Stanford Cardinal’s men’s and women’s soccer teams bringing their best on the pitch. The men’s team has four appearances in the NCAA Division 1 Men’s soccer tournament and five appearances in the College Cup, where it has three wins.

The women’s team boasts of three NCAA Division 1 women’s soccer tournaments and nine PAC-12 titles. The team also has nine appearances in College Cup tournaments.

The success of the men’s and women’s teams at one of the most prestigious institutions in the world has earned Stanford University a spot on the list of best colleges for soccer scholarships.

Soccer Team	Stanford Cardinals
Tuition fee	Average of $53,500 per year.
Scholarship information:	Stanford University offers over 350 athletic scholarships to athletes in different sports, including soccer.

3. Indiana University

The Indiana Hoosiers soccer team has been in the elite scene for years, and many collegiate soccer fans agree that it is one of the best teams in the NCAA Division 1. The men’s team is a member of the Big Ten Conference and has eight NCAA championships, thirteen Big Ten titles, and 45 NCAA tournament appearances.

There is also the women’s team, but it is not as prominent as the men’s.

Soccer Team	The Indiana Hoosiers
Tuition fee	Indiana residents pay $26,186 per year, while non-Indiana residents pay $52,566 per year.
Scholarship information:	Indiana University offers four-year athletic scholarships, with an out-of-state student athlete getting around $240,274 and in-state student-athletes get $135,766.

4. Duke University

Duke University is a private university in North Carolina, which makes its name in college-level soccer courtesy of its teams, the Duke Blue Devils men’s and women’s soccer. The women’s team is the most prominent, winning the ACC regular championship three times. It has 23 appearances in the NCAA Division 1 women’s tournament and three times for the College Cup.

The men’s team has only one championship, which came in 1986. However, it still has a consistent presence in the NCAA tournament.

Soccer Team	Duke Blue Devils
Tuition fee	The estimated cost of attendance is $78,828 per year.
Scholarship information:	Duke University offers athletic scholarships, and the athlete should have and maintain decent academic progress to benefit from the aid.

5. Creighton University

Creighton University is an Omaha, Nebraska-based college that features in the Big East Conference in collegiate soccer, represented by the Creighton Blue Jays men’s soccer team. It is an excellent team noted for its consistency in appearing in the NCAA Division 1 men’s soccer tournament, with 22 appearances.

It has five appearances in the College Cup, 13 wins in the conference regular-season championship, and another 13 in conference tournament championships. The college has some of the country’s best training facilities, with the 6000-seat soccer-specific stadium being one of them.

Soccer Team	Creighton Blue Jays
Tuition fee	Creighton University’s annual tuition fee is $41,176.
Scholarship information:	Creighton University offers several scholarships, mostly academic and need-based aid. There is no clear information on the allocation of sports scholarships.

6. Wake Forest University

Wake Forest University is one of the best soccer colleges in the US, especially when you look at their training facilities’ quality. Its soccer division competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and it has both the men’s and women’s teams; Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The men’s team won the 2007 Division 1 Men’s College Cup, while the women’s team reached the College Cup in 2011.

Soccer Team	Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Tuition fee	Approximately $55,440 per year.
Scholarship information:	Several scholarships are available in this college, a notable one being the Tia Dodson Memorial Athletic and Academic Excellence Scholarship. This scholarship goes to student members of the school’s cheerleading team and female athletes.

7. Penn State University

Another great college in soccer is Penn State University, a state college in Pennsylvania. Its team is the Penn State Nittany Lions, which has both men’s and women’s soccer teams. The teams are members of the Big Ten Conference. The men’s team has been consistent in its performance in the pitch, with eleven national championships, six conference tournament championships, and over 30 appearances in the NCAA tournament.

Soccer Team	Penn State Nittany Lions
Tuition fee	The fee is $32,606 to $35,830 for Pennsylvania residents and $50,142 to $53,364 for non-residents.
Scholarship information:	The college offers financial aid to outstanding NCAA 1 student-athletes. The minimum endowment amount is $50,000.

8. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University is a private institution based in Santa Clara, California. It is a member of the West Coast Conference, represented by the Santa Clara Broncos men’s and women’s soccer teams. The men’s team has an elite status in soccer because it is part of the top eight programs used by the NCAA to develop professional players.

The women’s team is also a prominent fixture in the West Coast Conference, well-known for its 2001 win of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship title.

Soccer Team	Santa Clara Broncos
Tuition fee	The tuition fee is approximately $53,600 annually.
Scholarship information:	Santa Clara is one of the best soccer colleges in the US when you consider the many athletic scholarships it offers. Some of the sports scholarships a student-athlete can apply for include the George Giacomini Athletic Scholarship, Castruccio Endowed Athletic Scholarship, and the Thomas J. Bannan Athletic Scholarship Fund.

9. University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in college-level sports, with its teams going by the name Fighting Irish. The Fighting Irish men’s soccer team is very robust, maintaining an excellent consistency in NCAA Tournament appearances, presently at 20, and it won the 2013 national championship.

Soccer Team	Fighting Irish
Tuition fee	Averages around $57,699 per year.
Scholarship information:	The University of Notre Dame offers athletic aid, which can cover tuition costs, books, and boarding fees. You can either get full or partial aid.

10. UCLA

The UCLA Bruins is one of the best soccer teams in both men and women divisions and a significant presence in the PAC-12 conference. They have many appearances in tournaments, some of which brought incredible wins.

The college has excellent facilities and support from staff and students, which boosts the pitch’s players’ morale.

Soccer Team	UCLA Bruins
Tuition fee	$27,712 to $36,767 for California residents and $57,466 to $66,521 for non-residents.
Scholarship information:	You can receive athletic scholarships based on your academic and sports performance. UCLA offers around 285 athletic scholarships each year to deserving students.

11. University of Maryland

The Maryland Terrapins men’s soccer team is one of the most decorated teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, having four NCAA Division 1 College Cup titles to its name. It also has nineteen Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championships and six ACC tournament championships.

Soccer Team	Maryland Terrapins
Tuition fee	The tuition is $27,424 to $30,664 for Maryland residents and $53,536 to $56,776 for non-residents.
Scholarship information:	The University of Maryland offers athletic scholarships to excellent student-athletes, though they need to maintain a stable academic performance.

12. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a consistent top performer in both men’s and women’s soccer. The North Carolina Tar Heels women’s soccer has twenty-three Atlantic Coast Conference Championships and twenty-one NCAA national championships.

On the other hand, the men’s team has two NCAA championship wins and over twenty appearances in the NCAA tournament.

Soccer Team	North Carolina Tar Heels
Tuition fee	The estimated tuition fee is $24,228 to $27,624 for North Carolina residents and $51,047 to $54,325 for non-residents.
Scholarship information:	The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers athletic scholarships to deserving students who show prowess in class and the pitch. The financial aid covers items like tuition, books, board, and other expenses. Men’s soccer gets 9.9 athletic scholarships, and the coach divides the aid accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What benefits are there to playing college soccer?

College soccer is one of the sports you can take part when in college, which will help you keep fit and have an active mental process. You can also meet up with new people in the pitch, with whom you can form strong relationships that will be fruitful in your professional life.

Are college soccer athletes paid to play soccer?

No, college soccer athletes do not get any pay to participate in games. However, if they are good at the sport, they can get scholarships to help with various costs on campus-like tuition fees.

 What happens after playing soccer at the college level?

After college, you can go professional and play in several soccer leagues in the country. This is one of the paths that highly-skilled players take once through with their studies. Others will stick to it like a hobby as they check out other ventures.

Conclusion

Now that you know about the 12 Best Soccer Colleges In The US, you should have a bit more of an understanding of what is required to attend and what you can gain from attending.

You have many options and hopeful prospects in addition to playing the most popular sport in the world if you are fortunate enough to get into one of these colleges, as they come with a range of benefits.