by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 11 schools for Women’s Rowing 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
University of Notre Dame tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Rowing. Based in Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Notre Dame records an NCAA APR of 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 94%. Team revenue averages $45,125 per participant, compared with $45,125 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $34,391 per athlete.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Rowing. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public school based in Ann Arbor, MI. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $2,833 in revenue per athlete, compared with $50,175 spent per athlete. The school awards about $28,650 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Dayton is one of the top schools for Women's Rowing, at #3. Located in Dayton, OH, University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,314, compared with $16,720 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,913 per athlete.
Indiana University-Bloomington came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Rowing. This public school is set in Bloomington, IN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 993, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 79%. Team revenue averages $40,093 per participant, with expenses of about $40,093 per participant. The school awards about $23,161 in athletic aid per athlete.
Milwaukee School of Engineering earned the #5 place for student athletes. Milwaukee School of Engineering is a private not-for-profit school based in Milwaukee, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,382, compared with $11,382 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Michigan State University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This public school is set in East Lansing, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Team revenue averages $37,321 per participant, against $37,321 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,500.
Ohio State University-Main Campus placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. This public school is set in Columbus, OH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 987, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $39,623 in revenue per athlete, compared with $39,623 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Madison did well this year, earning the #8 position. University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public school based in Madison, WI. The team's NCAA APR score is 985, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 91% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $4,341 per participant, compared with $28,665 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,586.
Marietta College landed the #9 spot this year. Marietta College is a private not-for-profit school based in Marietta, OH. Team revenue averages $15,724 per participant, compared with $12,175 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Eastern Michigan University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Rowing. Located in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Eastern Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 974, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $26,256 per participant, compared with $26,256 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,547 in athletic aid per athlete.
Adrian College landed the #11 spot this year. Located in Adrian, MI, Adrian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,662, with expenses of about $5,662 per participant. The school awards about $0 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. Programs are scored on 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.