by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 10 colleges for Women’s Tennis (Division I) 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Vanderbilt University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Tennis (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. The program generates about $215,621 in revenue per athlete, against $215,621 in expenses. The school awards about $42,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lipscomb University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Tennis (Division I). Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $80,462 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $80,462 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,176 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville landed the #3 spot for Women's Tennis (Division I). Based in Knoxville, TN, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 63% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $6,479 per participant, with expenses of about $177,740 per participant. The school awards about $29,054 in athletic aid per athlete.
Belmont University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Tennis (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $67,787 in revenue per athlete, compared with $67,787 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,742 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Memphis is one of the top schools for Women's Tennis (Division I), at #5. Based in Memphis, TN, University of Memphis is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 44%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $107,334, against $107,334 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,106 per athlete.
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). This public school is set in Murfreesboro, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $47,524 in revenue per athlete, compared with $47,524 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,110.
Austin Peay State University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Clarksville, TN, Austin Peay State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $49,811 in revenue per athlete, compared with $49,811 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,483 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I). The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public school based in Chattanooga, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 960, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $54,408, compared with $54,408 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,025.
East Tennessee State University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Johnson City, TN, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. East Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 990, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 33%. The program generates about $53,143 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $53,143 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,444.
Tennessee State University landed the #10 spot this year. Tennessee State University is a public school based in Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 988, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 78%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,719, against $16,719 in expenses. The school awards about $13,651 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. 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
See our data sources and methodologies.