by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 15 schools for Women’s Rowing (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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Northeastern University to be the best college for Women's Rowing (Division I) in the New England Region. Located in Boston, MA, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 95%. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,024, compared with $39,024 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,558.
University of Connecticut came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Rowing (Division I). University of Connecticut is a public school based in Storrs, CT. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 89%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,008, with expenses of about $41,008 per participant. The school awards about $20,776 in athletic aid per athlete.
Boston University landed the #3 spot for Women's Rowing (Division I). Boston University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 84%. Team revenue averages $32,821 per participant, compared with $32,821 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,954.
University of Rhode Island landed the #4 spot for Women's Rowing (Division I). This public school is set in Kingston, RI. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 79%. Team revenue averages $36,792 per participant, compared with $36,792 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,857.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Amherst, MA, University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $34,107 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $34,107 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,175.
Boston College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 982, and a 97% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. Team revenue averages $24,248 per participant, with expenses of about $24,248 per participant. The school awards about $29,391 in athletic aid per athlete.
Merrimack College placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). Based in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 80%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $13,213 per participant, compared with $13,213 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,394.
Dartmouth College landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hanover, NH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 998, and a 98% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $14,461 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,461 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Harvard University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cambridge, MA. Harvard University records an NCAA APR of 993, alongside a GSR of 100%. The program generates about $24,304 in revenue per athlete, compared with $24,304 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
College of the Holy Cross placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit school based in Worcester, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 91%. The program generates about $13,128 in revenue per athlete, against $13,128 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $17,801 per athlete.
Yale University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in New Haven, CT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, with a Graduation Success Rate of 98%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $27,045, against $27,045 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fairfield University landed the #12 spot this year. Based in Fairfield, CT, Fairfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $6,657 per participant, with expenses of about $6,657 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,587.
Brown University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. Brown University records an NCAA APR of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 98%. Team revenue averages $18,765 per participant, compared with $18,765 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Sacred Heart University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing (Division I). Located in Fairfield, CT, Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit institution. Sacred Heart University records an NCAA APR of 986, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. The program generates about $9,942 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,942 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,128 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bryant University placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division I). Located in Smithfield, RI, Bryant University is a private not-for-profit institution. Bryant University records an NCAA APR of 952. Team revenue averages $12,758 per participant, against $12,758 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,982 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.