by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 10 colleges for Men’s Crew 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Stanford University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Men's Crew. This private not-for-profit school is set in Stanford, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $53,699, with expenses of about $53,699 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
University of California-Berkeley earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Berkeley, CA, University of California-Berkeley is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $43,524, with expenses of about $37,185 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,267 per athlete.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Crew. University of Washington-Seattle Campus is a public school based in Seattle, WA. Team revenue averages $19,742 per participant, compared with $82,510 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $26,539 per athlete.
Santa Clara University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Clara, CA. Team revenue averages $14,341 per participant, compared with $14,341 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-San Diego earned the #5 place for student athletes. University of California-San Diego is a public school based in La Jolla, CA. Team revenue averages $16,981 per participant, with expenses of about $16,981 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,847.
Gonzaga University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Spokane, WA, Gonzaga University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,884, with expenses of about $15,929 per participant. The school awards about $14,963 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of San Diego placed #7 among the best colleges for Men's Crew. Located in San Diego, CA, University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,371 in revenue per athlete, against $13,371 in expenses. The school awards about $19,537 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oregon State University placed #8 among the best colleges for Men's Crew. Based in Corvallis, OR, Oregon State University is a public institution. The program generates about $14,806 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,806 per participant. The school awards about $19,022 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lewis & Clark College placed #9 among the best colleges for Men's Crew. Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit school based in Portland, OR. The program generates about $6,478 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,478 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Puget Sound landed the #10 spot this year. University of Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit school based in Tacoma, WA. The program generates about $10,761 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,761 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.