by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 14 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 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Use the shortcuts below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Fordham University, our #1 college for Women's Tennis (Division I). Based in Bronx, NY, Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution. Fordham University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $125,319 per participant, with expenses of about $125,319 per participant. Athletic aid averages $32,443 per athlete.
Syracuse University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit school based in Syracuse, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $71,683 in revenue per athlete, compared with $154,255 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $33,068.
St. John's University-New York came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Tennis (Division I). St. John's University-New York is a private not-for-profit school based in Queens, NY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $82,001, compared with $82,001 spent per athlete. The school awards about $29,040 in athletic aid per athlete.
University at Buffalo landed the #4 spot for Women's Tennis (Division I). Based in Buffalo, NY, University at Buffalo is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $100,602, compared with $100,602 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,340.
Hofstra University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Tennis (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Hempstead, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $28,031 in revenue per athlete, compared with $28,031 spent per athlete. The school awards about $22,514 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stony Brook University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I). This public school is set in Stony Brook, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $38,809 per participant, against $38,809 in expenses. The school awards about $15,341 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colgate University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hamilton, NY. Colgate University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Team revenue averages $23,945 per participant, against $23,945 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,658.
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,818, against $55,818 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Marist University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Marist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Marist University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $25,690 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $25,690 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,661.
Wagner College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). Wagner College is a private not-for-profit school based in Staten Island, NY. 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 88%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,206, against $16,206 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,661.
Cornell University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Ithaca, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 980, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $36,311 in revenue per athlete, against $36,311 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Binghamton University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). Located in Vestal, NY, Binghamton University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $25,401 in revenue per athlete, compared with $25,401 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,522 in athletic aid per athlete.
Niagara University did well this year, earning the #13 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Niagara University, NY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $23,766 per participant, with expenses of about $23,766 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,462.
St Bonaventure University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Bonaventure, NY. The team's NCAA APR score is 974, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $33,240 per participant, against $33,240 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,194.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.