by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 19 colleges for Women’s Tennis (Division I) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Learn more about these schools below:
University of Kansas tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I) in Plains States. This public school is set in Lawrence, KS. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Team revenue averages $238,391 per participant, against $238,391 in expenses. The school awards about $21,506 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kansas State University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Manhattan, KS, Kansas State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $124,966 per participant, with expenses of about $124,966 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,682.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Tennis (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 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 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,116, compared with $129,076 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Iowa ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Iowa City, IA, University of Iowa is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $7,080 per participant, against $167,405 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,176.
University of Missouri-Columbia earned the #5 place for student athletes. University of Missouri-Columbia is a public school based in Columbia, MO. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 43%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $145,058, compared with $145,058 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $16,637 per athlete.
Creighton University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I) in Plains States. Creighton University is a private not-for-profit school based in Omaha, NE. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $16,067 per participant, with expenses of about $22,336 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,224 per athlete.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln came in at #7 in this year's ranking. University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a public school based in Lincoln, NE. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 992, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,750, against $131,261 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,793 per athlete.
University of Missouri-Kansas City placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I) in Plains States. University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public school based in Kansas City, MO. University of Missouri-Kansas City records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Team revenue averages $55,390 per participant, against $55,390 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,225 per athlete.
University of North Dakota ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I) in Plains States. University of North Dakota is a public school based in Grand Forks, ND. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Team revenue averages $66,770 per participant, against $66,770 in expenses. The school awards about $11,250 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Louis University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Louis, MO. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $40,525 per participant, with expenses of about $40,525 per participant. The school awards about $13,446 in athletic aid per athlete.
Iowa State University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Ames, IA, Iowa State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. Team revenue averages $2,918 per participant, with expenses of about $145,688 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,185 per athlete.
Wichita State University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I) in Plains States. Wichita State University is a public school based in Wichita, KS. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $89,082, with expenses of about $89,082 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,114 per athlete.
Drake University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Des Moines, IA, Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,830, with expenses of about $44,830 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,413.
University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Omaha, NE, University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,719, with expenses of about $35,607 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,713.
Missouri State University-Springfield did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Springfield, MO, Missouri State University-Springfield is a public institution. Missouri State University-Springfield records an NCAA APR of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $38,403, compared with $38,403 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,364 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lindenwood University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Saint Charles, MO, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $38,671 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $38,671 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,722 per athlete.
Southeast Missouri State University landed the #17 spot this year. Located in Cape Girardeau, MO, Southeast Missouri State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. The program generates about $42,105 in revenue per athlete, against $42,105 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,582.
University of Northern Iowa placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Cedar Falls, IA, University of Northern Iowa is a public institution. University of Northern Iowa records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 25%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,287, compared with $37,287 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,720 per athlete.
University of South Dakota landed the #19 spot this year. This public school is set in Vermillion, SD. University of South Dakota records an NCAA APR of 974, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,558, with expenses of about $39,558 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.