by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 5 schools for Women’s Fencing (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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 University of Notre Dame, our #1 college for Women's Fencing (Division I). Based in Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 91%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,474, with expenses of about $50,474 per participant. The school awards about $34,391 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio State University-Main Campus earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Columbus, OH, Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $39,890 in revenue per athlete, compared with $39,890 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,151.
Northwestern University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Fencing (Division I). Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Evanston, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 96% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,702, compared with $49,562 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53,919.
University of Detroit Mercy came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Fencing (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Detroit, MI. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Team revenue averages $20,787 per participant, compared with $20,787 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,135.
Cleveland State University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Fencing (Division I). Located in Cleveland, OH, Cleveland State University is a public institution. Cleveland State University records an NCAA APR of 980, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $9,244 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,040 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,645 per athlete.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.