by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 37 programs for Women’s Bowling (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual scores each program on 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.
Not quite what you need? Use the shortcuts below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Vanderbilt University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Bowling (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set 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%. Team revenue averages $162,146 per participant, with expenses of about $162,146 per participant. Athletic aid averages $42,235 per athlete.
Tulane University of Louisiana landed the #2 spot for Women's Bowling (Division I). Based in New Orleans, LA, Tulane University of Louisiana 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 86%. Team revenue averages $216,896 per participant, against $82,317 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $36,413 per athlete.
Monmouth University is one of the top schools for Women's Bowling (Division I), at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in West Long Branch, NJ. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $49,702 in revenue per athlete, compared with $49,702 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,376 per athlete.
Duquesne University landed the #4 spot for Women's Bowling (Division I). Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Duquesne University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $40,489, with expenses of about $40,489 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,755.
Bryant University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Bowling (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Smithfield, RI. Bryant University records an NCAA APR of 990. Team revenue averages $23,704 per participant, with expenses of about $23,704 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,982.
Jacksonville State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Bowling (Division I). Located in Jacksonville, AL, Jacksonville State University is a public institution. Jacksonville State University records an NCAA APR of 1000. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $81,528, against $81,528 in expenses. The school awards about $14,761 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Bowling (Division I). Located in Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,524, against $85,805 in expenses. The school awards about $16,793 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wichita State University landed the #8 spot this year. This public school is set in Wichita, KS. Wichita State University records an NCAA APR of 1000. The program generates about $53,355 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $53,355 per participant. The school awards about $11,114 in athletic aid per athlete.
Merrimack College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling (Division I). Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit school based in North Andover, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 967. Team revenue averages $27,015 per participant, with expenses of about $27,015 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,394.
Morgan State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Bowling (Division I). Morgan State University is a public school based in Baltimore, MD. Morgan State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $64,230 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $63,576 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,399.
Louisiana Tech University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling (Division I). This public school is set in Ruston, LA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 88%. Team revenue averages $41,812 per participant, compared with $41,812 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,736 per athlete.
Niagara University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Niagara University, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 987. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,515, with expenses of about $12,515 per participant. The school awards about $17,462 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sam Houston State University placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling (Division I). This public school is set in Huntsville, TX. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $38,616 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $38,616 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,743 per athlete.
Arkansas State University landed the #14 spot this year. This public school is set in Jonesboro, AR. Arkansas State University records an NCAA APR of 972, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 43%. Team revenue averages $52,956 per participant, with expenses of about $52,956 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,588.
Sacred Heart University landed the #15 spot this year. Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fairfield, CT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,414, against $37,414 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,128 per athlete.
Mount St. Mary's University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Mount St. Mary's University is a private not-for-profit school based in Emmitsburg, MD. Mount St. Mary's University records an NCAA APR of 974, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. The program generates about $40,892 in revenue per athlete, compared with $40,892 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,910 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Teaneck, NJ, Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus is a private not-for-profit institution. Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus records an NCAA APR of 993, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $33,299, compared with $33,299 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,185 in athletic aid per athlete.
Youngstown State University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in Youngstown, OH, Youngstown State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. The program generates about $40,689 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $40,689 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,634.
University of Alabama at Birmingham came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Birmingham, AL, University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 967, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 73%. Team revenue averages $33,132 per participant, against $29,293 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $17,655 per athlete.
North Carolina A & T State University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Greensboro, NC, North Carolina A & T State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $62,170, compared with $62,170 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,465.
Stephen F Austin State University did well this year, earning the #21 position. Located in Nacogdoches, TX, Stephen F Austin State University is a public institution. Stephen F Austin State University posts a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,602, against $37,602 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,595.
Valparaiso University did well this year, earning the #22 position. Valparaiso University is a private not-for-profit school based in Valparaiso, IN. Valparaiso University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 90% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $25,564 in revenue per athlete, against $25,611 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,540.
Howard University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Washington, DC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Team revenue averages $9,930 per participant, against $9,930 in expenses. The school awards about $17,365 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling (Division I). This public school is set in Princess Anne, MD. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 968, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 70% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $46,935, compared with $68,683 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,288 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wagner College came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Based in Staten Island, NY, Wagner College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 972. Team revenue averages $22,492 per participant, compared with $22,492 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,661 per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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.
