by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 17 programs for Women’s Tennis by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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:
Vanderbilt University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Tennis. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $215,621 per participant, compared with $215,621 spent per athlete. The school awards about $42,235 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rhodes College earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Memphis, TN. Team revenue averages $12,875 per participant, compared with $12,875 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lipscomb University landed the #3 spot for Women's Tennis. Located in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution. Lipscomb University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $80,462 per participant, compared with $80,462 spent per athlete. The school awards about $18,176 in athletic aid per athlete.
Belmont University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis. Located in Nashville, TN, Belmont University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Team revenue averages $67,787 per participant, with expenses of about $67,787 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,742.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Tennis. Based in Knoxville, TN, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public 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 63%. The program generates about $6,479 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $177,740 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,054.
University of Memphis landed the #6 spot this year. University of Memphis is a public school based in Memphis, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 44%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $107,334, with expenses of about $107,334 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,106.
Lee University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cleveland, TN. Team revenue averages $32,035 per participant, against $32,035 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,272 per athlete.
Austin Peay State University landed the #8 spot this year. This public school is set in Clarksville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,811, compared with $49,811 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,483 in athletic aid per athlete.
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis. This public school is set in Murfreesboro, TN. Middle Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 992, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. Team revenue averages $47,524 per participant, with expenses of about $47,524 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,110 per athlete.
Christian Brothers University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis. Christian Brothers University is a private not-for-profit school based in Memphis, TN. Team revenue averages $28,676 per participant, compared with $23,558 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,833 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga landed the #11 spot this year. This public school is set in Chattanooga, TN. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga records an NCAA APR of 960, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. The program generates about $54,408 in revenue per athlete, compared with $54,408 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,025.
East Tennessee State University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis. East Tennessee State University is a public school based in Johnson City, TN. East Tennessee State University records an NCAA APR of 990, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $53,143, against $53,143 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,444 per athlete.
Lincoln Memorial University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis. Located in Harrogate, TN, Lincoln Memorial University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,178 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,202 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,449 in athletic aid per athlete.
Carson-Newman University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis. This private not-for-profit school is set in Jefferson City, TN. Team revenue averages $29,539 per participant, compared with $29,238 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,904 in athletic aid per athlete.
King University landed the #15 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bristol, TN. The program generates about $38,424 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $59,515 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,932 per athlete.
Tennessee State University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Tennis. This public school is set in Nashville, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 78% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,719, compared with $16,719 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,651 per athlete.
Tusculum University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Tennis. This private not-for-profit school is set in Greeneville, TN. Team revenue averages $19,084 per participant, with expenses of about $19,088 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,457 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.