by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 9 colleges for Women’s Rowing (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual scores each program on 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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Stanford University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Rowing (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Stanford, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, alongside a GSR of 97%. Its federal graduation rate is 97%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $84,932, against $84,932 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $42,012 per athlete.
University of California-Berkeley came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Rowing (Division I). University of California-Berkeley is a public school based in Berkeley, CA. University of California-Berkeley records an NCAA APR of 991, alongside a GSR of 98%. The federal graduation rate stands at 96%. Team revenue averages $43,845 per participant, against $43,845 in expenses. The school awards about $21,267 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Southern California is one of the top schools for Women's Rowing (Division I), at #3. Based in Los Angeles, CA, University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $71,977 in revenue per athlete, compared with $71,977 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $40,006 per athlete.
University of California-Los Angeles ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). University of California-Los Angeles is a public school based in Los Angeles, CA. University of California-Los Angeles records an NCAA APR of 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 98%. The federal graduation rate stands at 84%. The program generates about $34,881 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $34,881 per participant. The school awards about $24,306 in athletic aid per athlete.
Santa Clara University landed the #5 spot for Women's Rowing (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Clara, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,380, compared with $5,380 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,355 per athlete.
University of California-San Diego placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). Based in La Jolla, CA, University of California-San Diego is a public institution. University of California-San Diego records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $14,050 per participant, with expenses of about $14,050 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,847.
University of San Diego placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). Located in San Diego, CA, University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 973, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,168, with expenses of about $20,168 per participant. The school awards about $19,537 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Mary's College of California landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Moraga, CA, Saint Mary's College of California is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. Its federal graduation rate is 48%. Team revenue averages $27,309 per participant, against $27,309 in expenses. The school awards about $18,999 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Sacramento ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing (Division I). California State University-Sacramento is a public school based in Sacramento, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 977, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 84%. The program generates about $18,462 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $18,462 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,560 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.