by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 21 schools for Women’s Rowing by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Stanford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Rowing. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Stanford, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 997, and a 97% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 97%. Team revenue averages $84,932 per participant, 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. University of California-Berkeley is a public school based in Berkeley, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 98%. The federal graduation rate stands at 96%. The program generates about $43,845 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $43,845 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,267.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. Based in Seattle, WA, University of Washington-Seattle Campus is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. The program generates about $29,616 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $50,875 per participant. The school awards about $26,539 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Southern California is one of the top schools for Women's Rowing, at #4. Based in Los Angeles, CA, University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, alongside a GSR of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. The program generates about $71,977 in revenue per athlete, compared with $71,977 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $40,006.
Santa Clara University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Clara, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $5,380 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,380 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,355.
Lewis & Clark College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing. Located in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,403 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,403 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of California-Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Los Angeles, CA, University of California-Los Angeles is a public institution. University of California-Los Angeles records an NCAA APR of 980, and a 98% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 84%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,881, against $34,881 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,306.
University of California-San Diego did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in La Jolla, CA, University of California-San Diego is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,050, against $14,050 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,847.
Pacific Lutheran University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Tacoma, WA, Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,534 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,025 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Oregon State University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. Oregon State University is a public school based in Corvallis, OR. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 981, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 88% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $60,448 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $60,448 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,022 per athlete.
Washington State University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Washington State University is a public school based in Pullman, WA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 82%. Its federal graduation rate is 61%. Team revenue averages $21,065 per participant, with expenses of about $34,329 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,338.
Gonzaga University landed the #12 spot this year. Gonzaga University is a private not-for-profit school based in Spokane, WA. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. The program generates about $23,857 in revenue per athlete, compared with $23,349 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,963.
Seattle University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing. Located in Seattle, WA, Seattle University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,793, with expenses of about $14,793 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,482 per athlete.
University of San Diego ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing. University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit school based in San Diego, CA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 973, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $20,168 per participant, against $20,168 in expenses. The school awards about $19,537 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Puget Sound landed the #15 spot this year. University of Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit school based in Tacoma, WA. The program generates about $3,766 in revenue per athlete, against $3,766 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Mary's College of California ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing. Based in Moraga, CA, Saint Mary's College of California is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, alongside a GSR of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 48%. The program generates about $27,309 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $27,309 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,999.
University of Portland placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. Located in Portland, OR, University of Portland is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, alongside a GSR of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,068, against $18,068 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,618.
California State University-Sacramento landed the #18 spot this year. This public school is set in Sacramento, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 977, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 84%. Team revenue averages $18,462 per participant, with expenses of about $18,462 per participant. The school awards about $11,560 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Washington University placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. This public school is set in Bellingham, WA. Team revenue averages $17,229 per participant, against $17,229 in expenses. The school awards about $3,961 in athletic aid per athlete.
Seattle Pacific University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. Located in Seattle, WA, Seattle Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,779, with expenses of about $15,779 per participant. The school awards about $8,836 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is a public school based in Arcata, CA. Team revenue averages $27,737 per participant, against $25,367 in expenses. The school awards about $4,418 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
