by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 7 colleges for Women’s Rowing (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Our analysis found Northeastern University to be the best college for Women's Rowing (Division I) in Massachusetts. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Northeastern University records an NCAA APR of 994, and a 95% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,024, with expenses of about $39,024 per participant. The school awards about $24,558 in athletic aid per athlete.
Boston University earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 84% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $32,821 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $32,821 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,954.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst is one of the top schools for Women's Rowing (Division I), at #3. This public school is set in Amherst, MA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Team revenue averages $34,107 per participant, compared with $34,107 spent per athlete. The school awards about $17,175 in athletic aid per athlete.
Boston College is one of the top schools for Women's Rowing (Division I), at #4. Based in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. Boston College records an NCAA APR of 982, and a 97% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 91%. The program generates about $24,248 in revenue per athlete, against $24,248 in expenses. The school awards about $29,391 in athletic aid per athlete.
Merrimack College is one of the top schools for Women's Rowing (Division I), at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in North Andover, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 80%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,213, with expenses of about $13,213 per participant. The school awards about $20,394 in athletic aid per athlete.
Harvard University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cambridge, MA. Harvard University records an NCAA APR of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Team revenue averages $24,304 per participant, with expenses of about $24,304 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
College of the Holy Cross did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Worcester, MA, College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 91%. The program generates about $13,128 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,128 per participant. The school awards about $17,801 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.