by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 5 colleges for Women’s Fencing (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Use the shortcuts below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Boston College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Fencing (Division I). Based in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. Boston College records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,646, with expenses of about $15,646 per participant. Athletic aid averages $29,391 per athlete.
Harvard University landed the #2 spot for Women's Fencing (Division I). Based in Cambridge, MA, Harvard 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%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,788, against $30,788 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Sacred Heart University landed the #3 spot for Women's Fencing (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Fairfield, CT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 975, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,680, with expenses of about $19,680 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,128.
Brown University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Fencing (Division I). Brown University is a private not-for-profit school based in Providence, RI. Brown University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,811, with expenses of about $8,811 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Yale University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Fencing (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in New Haven, CT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,642, with expenses of about $15,642 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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
See our data sources and methodologies.