by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 11 schools for Women’s Tennis (Division I) 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Northwestern University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Evanston, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Team revenue averages $96,599 per participant, against $157,867 in expenses. The school awards about $53,919 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is one of the top schools for Women's Tennis (Division I), at #2. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public school based in Champaign, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,945, against $203,501 in expenses. The school awards about $25,398 in athletic aid per athlete.
DePaul University is one of the top schools for Women's Tennis (Division I), at #3. Based in Chicago, IL, DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 78%. Team revenue averages $80,456 per participant, with expenses of about $80,456 per participant. Athletic aid averages $23,928 per athlete.
University of Illinois Chicago is one of the top schools for Women's Tennis (Division I), at #4. University of Illinois Chicago is a public school based in Chicago, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $78,381 per participant, compared with $78,381 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,167.
Illinois State University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I). This public school is set in Normal, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $58,869 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $58,869 per participant. The school awards about $13,477 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Illinois University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This public school is set in Dekalb, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $54,218, compared with $54,218 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,138.
Bradley University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). Located in Peoria, IL, Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 983, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. The program generates about $36,941 in revenue per athlete, compared with $36,941 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,583 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Edwardsville, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $31,033 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $31,033 per participant. The school awards about $8,334 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Illinois University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). Western Illinois University is a public school based in Macomb, IL. Western Illinois University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 0%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $28,795, compared with $28,795 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,303.
Eastern Illinois University landed the #10 spot this year. This public school is set in Charleston, IL. Eastern Illinois University posts a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $30,747 per participant, against $30,747 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,653.
Chicago State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I). Chicago State University is a public school based in Chicago, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,811, with expenses of about $12,811 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,877.
*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
More about our data sources and methodologies.