by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 303 schools for Women’s Tennis (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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No school ranked higher than Vanderbilt University this year for Women's Tennis (Division I). Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. The program generates about $215,621 in revenue per athlete, compared with $215,621 spent per athlete. The school awards about $42,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wake Forest University landed the #2 spot for Women's Tennis (Division I). Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit school based in Winston-Salem, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $148,144 per participant, compared with $148,144 spent per athlete. The school awards about $38,933 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southern Methodist University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Tennis (Division I). Based in Dallas, TX, Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $175,576, with expenses of about $175,576 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $56,388.
Northwestern University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Tennis (Division I). Located in Evanston, IL, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Team revenue averages $96,599 per participant, compared with $157,867 spent per athlete. The school awards about $53,919 in athletic aid per athlete.
Duke University earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Durham, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $199,939, against $219,477 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $34,321 per athlete.
University of Notre Dame came in at #6 in this year's ranking. 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 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. The program generates about $178,992 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $178,992 per participant. Athletic aid averages $34,391 per athlete.
Stanford University landed the #7 spot this year. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Stanford, CA. Stanford University records an NCAA APR of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $149,378 per participant, with expenses of about $149,378 per participant. The school awards about $42,012 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus landed the #8 spot this year. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA. University of Virginia-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $190,478, compared with $190,478 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,976.
Rice University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). Based in Houston, TX, Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Team revenue averages $147,746 per participant, compared with $147,746 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $41,166 per athlete.
Texas Christian University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fort Worth, TX. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $220,096, against $220,096 in expenses. The school awards about $37,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Southern California came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Los Angeles, CA, University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $147,174, compared with $147,174 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $40,006.
Tulane University of Louisiana came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Orleans, LA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. Team revenue averages $319,648 per participant, with expenses of about $147,049 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $36,413.
Boston College landed the #13 spot this year. Boston College is a private not-for-profit school based in Chestnut Hill, MA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $110,001, with expenses of about $110,001 per participant. Athletic aid averages $29,391 per athlete.
Fordham University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Fordham University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bronx, NY. Fordham University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $125,319, compared with $125,319 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $32,443 per athlete.
Ohio State University-Main Campus came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Columbus, OH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $162,068, with expenses of about $162,068 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Based in New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $152,170 per participant, against $152,170 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,379.
Boston University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $93,491 per participant, compared with $93,491 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,954 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Miami ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). Based in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 40% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $229,360 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $229,360 per participant. The school awards about $38,474 in athletic aid per athlete.
Syracuse University placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I). Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit school based in Syracuse, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $71,683 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $154,255 per participant. The school awards about $33,068 in athletic aid per athlete.
Baylor University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waco, TX. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $152,054 in revenue per athlete, against $152,054 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $30,455 per athlete.
University of California-Los Angeles placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I). This public school is set in Los Angeles, CA. University of California-Los Angeles records an NCAA APR of 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. The program generates about $199,180 in revenue per athlete, against $199,180 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,306.
University of Mississippi ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). This public school is set in University, MS. University of Mississippi records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. Team revenue averages $255,263 per participant, compared with $255,263 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,457.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I). This public school is set in Seattle, WA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $70,674 in revenue per athlete, against $220,793 in expenses. The school awards about $26,539 in athletic aid per athlete.
Arizona State University Campus Immersion did well this year, earning the #24 position. Based in Tempe, AZ, Arizona State University Campus Immersion is a public institution. Arizona State University Campus Immersion records an NCAA APR of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $228,232, compared with $228,232 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $27,490 per athlete.
Indiana University-Bloomington ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). Indiana University-Bloomington is a public school based in Bloomington, IN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 70%. The program generates about $122,947 in revenue per athlete, against $122,947 in expenses. The school awards about $23,161 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
These colleges also performed well in our ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, CA |
| 52 | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| 53 | University of San Diego | San Diego, CA |
| 54 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA |
| 55 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL |
| 56 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 57 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL |
| 58 | University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO |
| 59 | Seton Hall University | South Orange, NJ |
| 60 | Boise State University | Boise, ID |
| 61 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh, NC |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.
