by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 99 colleges for Women’s Bowling by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Leading the list is Vanderbilt University, our #1 college for Women's Bowling. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $162,146 in revenue per athlete, compared with $162,146 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $42,235 per athlete.
Tulane University of Louisiana ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling. Based in New Orleans, LA, Tulane University of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit institution. Tulane University of Louisiana records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Team revenue averages $216,896 per participant, against $82,317 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $36,413 per athlete.
Hobart William Smith Colleges came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Bowling. Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit school based in Geneva, NY. Team revenue averages $16,286 per participant, with expenses of about $16,286 per participant. The school awards about $50 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois Wesleyan University is one of the top schools for Women's Bowling, at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bloomington, IL. The program generates about $5,388 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,388 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Maryville University of Saint Louis ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling. Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Louis, MO. Team revenue averages $35,051 per participant, with expenses of about $32,667 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,338 per athlete.
Monmouth University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in West Long Branch, NJ, Monmouth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Monmouth University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,702, against $49,702 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,376.
Bryant University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Smithfield, RI, Bryant University is a private not-for-profit institution. Bryant University records an NCAA APR of 990. The program generates about $23,704 in revenue per athlete, against $23,704 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,982.
Ohio Northern University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ada, OH. Team revenue averages $6,081 per participant, with expenses of about $6,081 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Duquesne University landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Duquesne University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,489, compared with $40,489 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,755 per athlete.
Adelphi University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling. Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit school based in Garden City, NY. Team revenue averages $9,840 per participant, compared with $9,840 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,963 per athlete.
Lewis University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Romeoville, IL, Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $17,500 per participant, compared with $17,500 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,669.
Saint Anselm College did well this year, earning the #12 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Manchester, NH. Team revenue averages $11,123 per participant, against $9,781 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,219.
Wartburg College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Bowling. Located in Waverly, IA, Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,322 in revenue per athlete, against $8,322 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Molloy University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rockville Centre, NY. Team revenue averages $11,566 per participant, against $11,516 in expenses. The school awards about $5,589 in athletic aid per athlete.
Niagara University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Niagara University, NY, Niagara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Niagara University records an NCAA APR of 987. The program generates about $12,515 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,515 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,462.
Jacksonville State University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Jacksonville, AL, Jacksonville State University is a public institution. Jacksonville State University records an NCAA APR of 1000. Team revenue averages $81,528 per participant, with expenses of about $81,528 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,761 per athlete.
Wichita State University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Wichita, KS, Wichita State University is a public institution. Wichita State University records an NCAA APR of 1000. Team revenue averages $53,355 per participant, with expenses of about $53,355 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,114 per athlete.
Luther College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Bowling. This private not-for-profit school is set in Decorah, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,040, compared with $2,832 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Merrimack College placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling. Located in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. Merrimack College records an NCAA APR of 967. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,015, with expenses of about $27,015 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,394 per athlete.
Saint Vincent College landed the #20 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Latrobe, PA. Team revenue averages $3,822 per participant, compared with $3,822 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Sacred Heart University placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling. Based in Fairfield, CT, Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,414, compared with $37,414 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,128 per athlete.
Capital University placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling. Capital University is a private not-for-profit school based in Columbus, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,087, with expenses of about $9,087 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Elmhurst University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling. Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit school based in Elmhurst, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,188, with expenses of about $5,188 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Baldwin Wallace University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Located in Berea, OH, Baldwin Wallace University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,561 per participant, compared with $5,561 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Louisiana Tech University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Located in Ruston, LA, Louisiana Tech University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 985, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,812, against $41,812 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,736 per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
