by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 18 programs 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:
No school ranked higher than Duke University this year for Women's Rowing. Duke University is a private not-for-profit school based in Durham, NC. Duke University records an NCAA APR of 996, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 95%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $83,575, with expenses of about $81,606 per participant. Athletic aid averages $34,321 per athlete.
University of Central Florida ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. Based in Orlando, FL, University of Central Florida is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $122,101 in revenue per athlete, against $38,227 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,195.
University of Virginia-Main Campus earned the #3 place for student athletes. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 96%. About 88% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,743, against $45,743 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,976.
The University of Alabama came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Rowing. Located in Tuscaloosa, AL, The University of Alabama is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 998, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 91%. The program generates about $31,128 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $31,128 per participant. The school awards about $20,760 in athletic aid per athlete.
High Point University is one of the top schools for Women's Rowing, at #5. High Point University is a private not-for-profit school based in High Point, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000. The program generates about $41,801 in revenue per athlete, against $29,418 in expenses. The school awards about $18,469 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Miami came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 97%. The federal graduation rate stands at 81%. The program generates about $53,824 in revenue per athlete, against $53,824 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $38,474.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 996, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 98%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,804, with expenses of about $34,807 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,771.
Clemson University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Clemson, SC, Clemson University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 84%. The program generates about $59,575 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $59,575 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,730 per athlete.
Rollins College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Rollins College is a private not-for-profit school based in Winter Park, FL. Team revenue averages $12,770 per participant, against $12,770 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,632 per athlete.
West Virginia University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Morgantown, WV, West Virginia University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $13,792 per participant, compared with $13,792 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,705.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Knoxville, TN, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,759, against $57,383 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $29,054 per athlete.
Old Dominion University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. Old Dominion University is a public school based in Norfolk, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 978, alongside a GSR of 97%. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,750, against $29,750 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,728.
University of Louisville landed the #13 spot this year. Located in Louisville, KY, University of Louisville is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 983, with a Graduation Success Rate of 97%. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $3,252 in revenue per athlete, against $35,179 in expenses. The school awards about $21,083 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nova Southeastern University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Rowing. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The program generates about $14,746 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,746 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,636 per athlete.
Jacksonville University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, and a 96% Graduation Success Rate. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $13,655 per participant, against $13,655 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,287.
Stetson University landed the #16 spot this year. Stetson University is a private not-for-profit school based in DeLand, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 986, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 76%. The program generates about $15,587 in revenue per athlete, compared with $15,587 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,035 per athlete.
George Mason University landed the #17 spot this year. George Mason University is a public school based in Fairfax, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 983, alongside a GSR of 63%. About 44% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $11,767 per participant, compared with $11,767 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,956 in athletic aid per athlete.
Barry University landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Miami, FL, Barry University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $22,021 in revenue per athlete, against $22,021 in expenses. The school awards about $10,733 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
See our data sources and methodologies.