by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 10 programs for Women’s Bowling (Division II) 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.
Not quite what you need? Jump to the options below.
Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is Barton College, our #1 college for Women's Bowling (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Wilson, NC. The program generates about $14,766 in revenue per athlete, against $14,766 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,654.
Fayetteville State University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling (Division II). This public school is set in Fayetteville, NC. Team revenue averages $25,055 per participant, compared with $25,055 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,674 per athlete.
Belmont Abbey College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Belmont Abbey College is a private not-for-profit school based in Belmont, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,431, against $12,431 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,908.
Virginia State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling (Division II). Located in Petersburg, VA, Virginia State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,208, against $13,208 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,082 per athlete.
Elizabeth City State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Elizabeth City, NC, Elizabeth City State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,401, with expenses of about $6,401 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,147.
Virginia Union University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Richmond, VA, Virginia Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,228 in revenue per athlete, against $7,864 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,465.
Shaw University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Bowling (Division II). Based in Raleigh, NC, Shaw University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,104, with expenses of about $17,104 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,825.
Johnson C Smith University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Bowling (Division II). Johnson C Smith University is a private not-for-profit school based in Charlotte, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,868, compared with $9,868 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,550 in athletic aid per athlete.
Thomas More University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Thomas More University is a private not-for-profit school based in Crestview Hills, KY. The program generates about $4,904 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,815 per participant. The school awards about $4,453 in athletic aid per athlete.
Livingstone College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Salisbury, NC, Livingstone College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,272, with expenses of about $12,272 per participant. The school awards about $6,211 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.