by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 12 colleges for Women’s Gymnastics (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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.
Not quite what you need? Jump to the options below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Michigan State University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Gymnastics (Division I). Based in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 92%. Team revenue averages $116,752 per participant, against $116,752 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,500.
Ohio State University-Main Campus is one of the top schools for Women's Gymnastics (Division I), at #2. Based in Columbus, OH, Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Ohio State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Team revenue averages $103,965 per participant, compared with $103,965 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,151 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Gymnastics (Division I). Based in Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $20,478 per participant, with expenses of about $141,322 per participant. Athletic aid averages $28,650 per athlete.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Gymnastics (Division I). University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public school based in Champaign, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $4,396 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $84,652 per participant. The school awards about $25,398 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Michigan University landed the #5 spot for Women's Gymnastics (Division I). Western Michigan University is a public school based in Kalamazoo, MI. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. The program generates about $39,875 in revenue per athlete, compared with $39,875 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,248 per athlete.
Eastern Michigan University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 79%. Team revenue averages $42,063 per participant, compared with $42,063 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,547 per athlete.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Gymnastics (Division I). Located in Bowling Green, OH, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,273, against $20,166 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,840 per athlete.
Kent State University at Kent did well this year, earning the #8 position. Kent State University at Kent is a public school based in Kent, OH. 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. The program generates about $34,308 in revenue per athlete, compared with $34,308 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,976.
Ball State University landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in Muncie, IN. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 90% Graduation Success Rate. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,077, compared with $39,077 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,206 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Illinois University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Northern Illinois University is a public school based in Dekalb, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $35,164 per participant, against $35,164 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,138 per athlete.
Central Michigan University landed the #11 spot this year. Located in Mount Pleasant, MI, Central Michigan University is a public institution. Central Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $41,455 in revenue per athlete, compared with $41,455 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,123 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Normal, IL, Illinois State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. The program generates about $28,229 in revenue per athlete, against $28,229 in expenses. The school awards about $13,477 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
See our data sources and methodologies.