by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 29 schools for Women’s Rowing (Division III) 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:
Leading the list is Tufts University, our #1 college for Women's Rowing (Division III). Tufts University is a private not-for-profit school based in Medford, MA. Team revenue averages $7,423 per participant, compared with $7,139 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wellesley College is one of the top schools for Women's Rowing (Division III), at #2. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wellesley, MA. The program generates about $8,166 in revenue per athlete, against $8,166 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Williams College is one of the top schools for Women's Rowing (Division III), at #3. This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamstown, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,859, against $6,859 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hamilton College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Clinton, NY, Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,861 per participant, compared with $6,861 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Rowing (Division III). Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit school based in Worcester, MA. Team revenue averages $7,640 per participant, compared with $7,640 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Colby College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division III). Based in Waterville, ME, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,260 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,260 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bates College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Bates College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lewiston, ME. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,643, compared with $6,663 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #8 position. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,783, with expenses of about $15,783 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,894 per participant, against $5,848 in expenses. The school awards about $53 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Rochester ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing (Division III). Located in Rochester, NY, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,910 in revenue per athlete, against $5,978 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Connecticut College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in New London, CT, Connecticut College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,778 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,778 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Lawrence University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Canton, NY, St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,079 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,079 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,126 per athlete.
Milwaukee School of Engineering landed the #13 spot this year. Located in Milwaukee, WI, Milwaukee School of Engineering is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,382 per participant, compared with $11,382 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stockton University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division III). Located in Galloway, NJ, Stockton University is a public institution. The program generates about $8,629 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,629 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Union College came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Union College is a private not-for-profit school based in Schenectady, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,153, with expenses of about $3,163 per participant. The school awards about $2,499 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hobart William Smith Colleges ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing (Division III). Based in Geneva, NY, Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,113 per participant, compared with $10,113 spent per athlete. The school awards about $50 in athletic aid per athlete.
Skidmore College landed the #17 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saratoga Springs, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,838, with expenses of about $3,838 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ithaca College ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Ithaca, NY. Team revenue averages $5,464 per participant, compared with $5,464 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St. John Fisher University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. St. John Fisher University is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $4,040 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,021 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Nazareth University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division III). Located in Rochester, NY, Nazareth University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,131 in revenue per athlete, against $5,882 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division III). Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school based in Tacoma, WA. The program generates about $7,534 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,025 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy came in at #22 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Buzzards Bay, MA. Team revenue averages $3,508 per participant, compared with $3,492 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Marietta College ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing (Division III). Marietta College is a private not-for-profit school based in Marietta, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,724, compared with $12,175 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gordon College placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing (Division III). Located in Wenham, MA, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,884, with expenses of about $6,824 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lewis & Clark College did well this year, earning the #25 position. Based in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $4,403 per participant, against $4,403 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.