by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 18 colleges for Women’s Tennis (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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:
Our analysis found Wake Forest University to be the best college for Women's Tennis (Division I) in North Carolina. Based in Winston-Salem, NC, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution. 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 $148,144 in revenue per athlete, against $148,144 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $38,933 per athlete.
Duke University landed the #2 spot for Women's Tennis (Division I). Located in Durham, NC, Duke 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%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $199,939, against $219,477 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $34,321 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $63,744, compared with $167,055 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,771 per athlete.
Elon University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Elon, NC, Elon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $95,868 in revenue per athlete, against $95,868 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $25,795 per athlete.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is one of the top schools for Women's Tennis (Division I), at #5. This public school is set in Raleigh, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $68,686 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $195,221 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,384 per athlete.
Campbell University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Buies Creek, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,150, against $73,150 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,433.
Appalachian State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Boone, NC, Appalachian State University 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 $51,102 per participant, compared with $51,102 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,299 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #8 spot this year. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public school based in Charlotte, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $95,457, against $97,431 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,522 per athlete.
East Carolina University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Greenville, NC, East Carolina University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 983, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 88%. Team revenue averages $51,060 per participant, against $50,420 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,584 per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Gardner-Webb University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boiling Springs, NC. Gardner-Webb University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $50,832 in revenue per athlete, compared with $50,832 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,936 per athlete.
Davidson College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Davidson, NC, Davidson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Team revenue averages $32,760 per participant, compared with $43,219 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,830.
North Carolina Central University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Based in Durham, NC, North Carolina Central University is a public institution. North Carolina Central University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 78% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. The program generates about $49,839 in revenue per athlete, compared with $49,839 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,804.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public school based in Greensboro, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $33,960 in revenue per athlete, against $33,960 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,162.
University of North Carolina Wilmington came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Wilmington, NC. University of North Carolina Wilmington records an NCAA APR of 973, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Team revenue averages $41,901 per participant, against $41,901 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,667.
University of North Carolina Asheville ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). This public school is set in Asheville, NC. University of North Carolina Asheville records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $28,343 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $28,343 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,593 per athlete.
Queens University of Charlotte did well this year, earning the #16 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Charlotte, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 926, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 87%. The program generates about $26,766 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $26,766 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,282 per athlete.
Western Carolina University landed the #17 spot this year. Based in Cullowhee, NC, Western Carolina University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 975, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. The program generates about $33,321 in revenue per athlete, against $33,321 in expenses. The school awards about $6,960 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Carolina A & T State University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I). North Carolina A & T State University is a public school based in Greensboro, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 949, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,781, against $20,781 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,465 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.