by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 9 programs 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Syracuse University, our #1 college for Women's Rowing (Division I). Located in Syracuse, NY, Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 69%. The program generates about $37,005 in revenue per athlete, against $65,058 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $33,068.
University at Albany came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Rowing (Division I). Located in Albany, NY, University at Albany is a public institution. University at Albany records an NCAA APR of 1000. Team revenue averages $11,300 per participant, against $19,787 in expenses. The school awards about $13,856 in athletic aid per athlete.
Marist University is one of the top schools for Women's Rowing (Division I), at #3. Located in Poughkeepsie, NY, Marist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 88% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $12,855 in revenue per athlete, against $12,855 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,661.
Fordham University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Bronx, NY, Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution. Fordham University records an NCAA APR of 988, alongside a GSR of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 73%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,717, compared with $26,717 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $32,443.
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Rowing (Division I). Located in New York, NY, Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Team revenue averages $17,511 per participant, compared with $17,511 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colgate University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Hamilton, NY, Colgate University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,812, with expenses of about $9,812 per participant. Athletic aid averages $22,658 per athlete.
Iona University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in New Rochelle, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The program generates about $7,241 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,241 per participant. Athletic aid averages $10,814 per athlete.
Cornell University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). Cornell University is a private not-for-profit school based in Ithaca, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 97%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,495, with expenses of about $16,879 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Canisius University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). Based in Buffalo, NY, Canisius University is a private not-for-profit institution. Canisius University records an NCAA APR of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 84%. Team revenue averages $8,929 per participant, against $8,929 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,300.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.