While college soccer is not as popular in the United States as other sports, it is a viable option for those who are talented to continue their professional careers. High-level players who attend the top schools have a real chance of a successful professional career, and an opportunity to receive an excellent education. Although it is not as popular as American football, certain schools can attract a lot of people.
The 15 best men’s soccer colleges in the United States are all listed below. All of these programs are Division I, which is the most competitive college division. They also have the best facilities and spend the most money in soccer.
1. Notre Dame
Notre Dame is a juggernaut team in nearly every sport.. Although they were only 10-8-1 last year, they are almost always among the top 25. Although they only won one national title last season, they have the resources and budget to compete in almost any year.
Notre Dame also ranks highly in terms of support. It’s not surprising, considering that soccer takes place at the same time as football. There are many fans who embrace both football and soccer, despite the rich tradition of football.
2. University Of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
UCLA’s soccer program is remarkable for both men and women. They have won four championships in their history, but they have struggled a bit over the past few years. Although they had a difficult season in 2019, they continue to find new talent each year.
UCLA is known for being one of the best locations in the country for soccer or any other outdoor sport. They have excellent facilities for student athletes and are located in the middle of a fertile recruiting area.
3. Stanford
You are looking for the most dominant team in recent history? It is hard to find a better team than Stanford on the men’s side.
They never won a national championship in men’s soccer until 2015, but they have been making up for lost time since then. They won three consecutive national titles before Maryland broke the streak in 2018. They managed to rebound and reach the Final Four in 2019. They are expected to continue to be one the top teams in the near future.
Their current head coach, Jeremy Gunn is considered to be one of the top names in soccer coaching. It is unknown how long he will remain at Stanford or whether he will seek out other colleges or professional teams.
4. UNC
The North Carolina Tar Heels might be known more for women’s soccer than men’s, but the team is pretty impressive just the same.
They were recently able to make back-to-back Final Fours, in 2016 and 2017, but couldn’t win their third national championship. Their best run was a decade ago, when they won three consecutive Final Fours. They also won a national championship in 2011.
Chapel Hill’s soccer culture is a great one. It is almost impossible for road teams or other soccer-related organizations to enter Chapel Hill and get a result because they regularly draw large crowds.
5. Virginia
The Virginia Cavaliers have the third most team titles in men’s college soccer history. Their most recent title was in 2014, when they beat UCLA in penalty shootout. They are shortlisted for a national championship every year. In the 2019 finals they played a thrilling match against Georgetown, but lost in a hard penalty shootout.
They are committed to making their program a top-notch one for many years to come. They have the infrastructure to bring in top talent each year and keep it going. They are one of the most difficult schools in the USA to get into, so they have no trouble landing talented kids who want to play top-level soccer.
6. St. Louis
Anyone who knows the history of men’s college soccer knows about the St. Louis Billikens. They are no longer considered a national power but it would be difficult to remove them from this list, considering that they have won the most NCAA tournament championships in Division 1 History.
For the first half, Bob Guelker led the team to national dominance. Dan Donigan took the second half. They were the dominant team at college soccer in the 1960s and 70s.
What happened to the team? This is mostly due to a lack of funding because they are in a smaller conference and other teams placing more stress on recruiting. Although they are very competitive in the Atlantic 10 Conference and have been for the past 20 years, they have not reached the NCAA tournament College Cup. Still, they are worthy of a mention on any list for men’s soccer.
7. Georgetown
Georgetown won the 2019 national title by winning a thrilling penalty-kick over Virginia. They are certainly on the rise and this is not a flash in a pan.
Although it is not the only reason they are so good, investing in top-quality facilities is certainly an important factor. Shaw Field is one of the most popular soccer venues in college soccer. It is perfectly integrated into campus, giving it an urban feel.
8. Akron
Many were surprised roughly a decade ago when Akron evolved into a national power in men’s soccer. The Mid-American Conference team does not receive the same level of national recognition as other schools on this list.
They invested heavily in soccer, as well as in scouting for top players. They won back-to-back national championships in 2009 and 2010. They are not a surprise team. Instead, they have enjoyed a lot of success over the past decade. They have reached the Final Four three times in the last five years, with a runner up trophy in 2018.
Akron has had to deal with budget problems recently. It is not clear if that will impact the soccer program. They might be able survive because it is a program that generates money and national recognition for the school.
9. Maryland
Maryland is a long-standing contender in soccer. They won their first national title in 1968. Three of the five first Final Fours were played by Maryland during those early years. They never fell for too long and were constantly in contention until 2005, when they failed to win another national title. They have added two more titles, including a victory over Akron in 2018.
Maryland has excellent facilities. They invest a lot in building up their coaching staff. And they take soccer seriously in every conference they attend. They have not been affected by their move from the ACC into the Big Ten. They play one of their most challenging schedules each year, which is what prepares them for the postseason.
10. Indiana
Maryland knew from the start that they were going to be up against Indiana’s perennial power, the Big Ten.
They are the winners of eight national championships and have been crowned in all four decades. You can see Indiana is near the top of the standings nearly every year.
11. Wake Forest
Wake Forest is committed to being a top soccer team every year. It all began with a slow build around 20 years ago. They reached their peak with four consecutive Final Four appearances between 2006 and 2009. They won their national championship in 2007, and have been near the top nearly every year since.
Spry Stadium is a great place to play college soccer. The stadium fills up regularly and creates an unforgettable atmosphere. Wake Forest is one the most small D1 schools in America, but its students are committed to the team. They also receive quite a bit local support in Winston-Salem.
12. Creighton
Creighton has become the dominant middle-of-the-country team in many ways. While they are yet to win a national title, the team has been to four Final Fours in the last twenty years. This is impressive for a team that has just joined the Big East Conference.
The Blue Jays have made soccer one of the most loved sports on campus. Morrison Stadium is a stadium that can hold thousands of people for a match. It is also one of the most difficult places for teams to enter.
Creighton still needs to find its big break. But, Creighton feels that moving to the Big East helped them tremendously. It will be interesting for Omaha to see how the decade ahead unfolds.
13. St. John’s
Located in New York City, St. John’s might not seem like a traditional soccer power to some. They are one the most consistent teams in the country, having made the NCAA tournament nearly every season. They have been to the College Cup semifinals three times and were in the title match once. They established themselves as a premier program when they defeated FIU in the final in 1986.
Soccer is not quite as popular in NYC and surrounding areas in other parts of the country, but St. John’s puts in work with recruiting. They welcome players from all parts of the world to compete.
14. Clemson
All the focus seems to be on Clemson’s American football team, but the association football team is pretty good in their own right. They have 14 ACC Championships and two NCAA National Championships. Although they haven’t won any titles since 1987, they are still a strong contender nationally.
They also just happened to have the best player in men’s soccer last year and Robbie Robinson. He is one of three Hermann Trophy winners from Clemson over its history. The tournament will continue to be a success because of the ability to attract top talent.
15. SMU
SMU does not have any national titles in their program’s history, but they are consistent winners at the conference level. They are currently making the American Conference Tournament almost every year since 2005.
Westcott Field is always full when the team is strong and the program seems to be getting better every year. They could be serious contenders again if they get a little more funding. They are the top team in Texas, and they have more youth players than ever.
Here’s the complete list of the top soccer colleges in the United States
- Notre Dame
- UCLA
- Stanford
- UNC
- Virginia
- St. Louis
- Georgetown
- Akron
- Maryland
- Indiana
- Wake Forest
- St. John’s
- Clemson
- SMU