A good amount of high school students want to know the best colleges with bowling teams, specifically varsity teams, as opposed to club or intramural teams. Fortunately for these students, there are many colleges with bowling teams on the varsity level. And many of these colleges have both varsity men’s and women’s bowling teams.
BrokeScholar decided to identify the best colleges with bowling teams in terms of their academic record as well as in terms of cost to attend. We took into account graduation rates, admission rates, and costs of tuition and required fees. We also noted which sanction body these colleges with bowling teams fall under, such as NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) versus NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) versus NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association). All data was sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Read on to find out the best colleges with bowling teams.
Table of Contents
- Louisiana Tech University
- Grambling State University
- Delaware State University
- Arkansas State University
- Spring Arbor University
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
- University of Central Missouri
- Cleary University
- University of Nebraska
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Illinois Wesleyan University
- University of St. Francis
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An Important Note On Our Study of the Best Colleges With Bowling
The 15 Best Colleges With Bowling
The only NCAA-level bowling is women's bowling. There is no NCAA-level men's bowling, although in other athletic sanction bodies, like NAIA, men's bowling on the varsity level does exist. In general, NCAA colleges tend to be more expensive than NAIA colleges, though this isn’t always the case. Colleges that belong to the NJCAA are two-year institutions, or “junior colleges.” Both NCAA and NAIA colleges are split up into different division levels, such as NAIA Division I or NCAA Division II without football, for example.
According to NCES data, there are 137 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges that have women’s varsity bowling teams. We then analyzed those 137 colleges in terms of graduation rates, admission rates, and costs of tuition and required fees. Each college was scored based on these factors and then ranked. For each of the colleges with bowling, when available, we include the women’s teams’ RPI (Ratings Power Index) from the most recently completed season, the 2022-2023 bowling season.
Here’s a look at the best colleges with bowling teams on the varsity level.
1. Vanderbilt University
Type of institution: Private, not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.638
2022-2023 record: 94-29
Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and ranked at the top of our list of the best colleges with bowling, not to mention the best college in Tennessee in general. Vanderbilt has the highest graduation rate in the study, at 93%, which is way higher than the average graduation rate for all 137 colleges analyzed in our study, which was 51%.
Vanderbilt has an undergruade acceptance rate of 7%, making it the hardest college to get into among the colleges with bowling teams. The average acceptance rate for all 137 colleges in our study was 79%, so Vanderbilt is markedly more selective in its admissions. The Vanderbilt Commodores compete in NCAA Division I-FBS, with the college's bowling team finishing the 2022-2023 season with a record of 94 wins and 29 losses. In the end, they ranked No. 2 in the country behind only McKendree.
2. North Carolina A&T State University
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FCS
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.622
2022-2023 record: 89-32
Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, NCAT ranked second in our study of the best colleges with bowling. The school has an undergraduate population of just under 12,000 students. The graduation rate at North Carolina A&T is above the study's 52% average, at 57%. The undergraduate acceptance rate at NCAT is rather competitive for a public university, at 56%, which is also more selective than the study’s overall average admission rate of 79%. Moreover, costs of tuition and required fees are below average, at approximately $6,733 for in-state students and $20,243 for out-of-state students, according to NCES data.
The NCAT Aggies compete in NCAA Division I-FCS. The women’s bowling team finished with a very impressive record of 89 wins and 32 losses, good enough to rank No. 6 in the NCAA. They also won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship.
3. Tulane University
Type of institution: Private, not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.566
2022-2023 record: 71-49
Tulane University is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and competes in NCAA Division I-FBS. In terms of its academics, Tulane University boasts very solid scores. It has a graduation rate of 87%, which is 35 percentage points higher than the 52% average for the study as a whole. Its admission rate of 11% makes it the second hardest college to get into of the 137 colleges with varsity bowling. The main drawback of Tulane University is the cost to attend, which is an estimated $62,844 per year.
The Tulane Green Wave finished their 2022-2023 season with a very solid record of 71 wins to 49 losses, which put them at No. 26 in the NCAA rankings. However, Tulane's bowling team lost to both Arkansas State University and Louisiana Tech in the Southland Conference Championships.
4. Louisiana Tech University
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.599
2022-2023 record: 77-43
Located in Ruston, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech has an undergraduate population of approximately 9,924 students, making it larger than most colleges with bowling in our study. Its graduation rate of 60% is better-than-average and its admission rate of 62% makes it one of the most selective colleges with bowling, not to mention fairly competitive for a public, state university. According to NCES data, the costs of tuition and required fees are quite affordable, at an estimated $10,065 per academic year for in-state students and $16,806 for out-of-state students, both rates being well below the study’s average of $28,463 for in-state students and $30,165 for out-of-state students.
Louisiana Tech has an academically strong record, as does its women's bowling team. The Lousiana Tech Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I-FBS. At the end of the 2022-2023 season, the women’s bowling team finished with a superb 77 wins and 43 losses, placing it at No. 10 overall in NCAA rankings.
5. Grambling State University
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FCS
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.371
2022-2023 record: 6-93
Like Louisiana Tech University, Grambling State University is also in Louisiana. Grambling State University has the third lowest acceptance rate in our study, with an admission rate of 42% compared to the 79% average for the study overall; Grambling State's acceptance rate is also very selective compared to many other public universities. On the other hand, its graduation rate is only 37%, which kept it from ranking higher in our study. However, Grambling State University has very affordable costs of tuition and required fees, at an estimated $7,683 per academic year for in-state students and $16,706 for out-of-state students, according to NCES data.
The Grambling State Tigers compete in NCAA Division I-FCS. Though the school puts up very solid academic credentials, its bowling team needs some improvement, to say the least. The women’s bowling team finished out their 2022-2023 season with a record of only 6 wins versus 93 losses.
6. Delaware State University
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FCS
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.576
2022-2023 record: 53-31
Located in the state capital of Dover, Delaware State University competes in NCAA Division I-FCS. The university has a graduation rate of 45%, making it lower-than-average. However, its undergraduate admission rate of 55% makes it more selective than the average of 79% admission rate for the study as a whole, as well as more selective than most public four-year institutions. Delaware State's affordability helped its ranking here, with estimated costs of tuition and required fees at $8,358 for in-state students and $18,280 for out-of-state students, which are significantly cheaper than the study’s overall averages of $28,463 and $30,165, respectively. Delaware State also has an impressively low transfer-out rate of 6%.
The Delaware State Hornets compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). In terms of its bowling teams, the Hornets are tough competitors. The women's bowling team finished out the 2022-2023 season with a record of 53 wins and 31 losses, good for No. 22 overall in NCAA rankings.
7. Arkansas State University
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0634
2022-2023 record: 78-29
Located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Arkansas State University is one of the main state schools in Arkansas, having an undergraduate population of over 8,200 students and more than 13,000 students in total. The university’s graduation rate of 53% is slightly better-than-average, as is its admission rate of 70% compared to 79% for the study overall. The costs of tuition and required fees at Arkansas State are much cheaper-than-average at an estimated $7,456 per academic year for in-state students and $13,312 for out-of-state students, according to NCES data.
The Arkansas State Red Wolves compete in NCAA Division I-FBS, with the bowling team competing in the Southland Bowling League, winning the conference championship in 2016, 2018, and 2023. However, it was announced in May 2023 that Arkansas State's women's bowling team is joining Conference USA. The women's bowling team finished the 2022-2023 season with a record of 78 wins and 29 losses, good enough for the Red Wolves to rank No. 3 overall in the NCAA.
8. Spring Arbor University
Type of institution: Private, not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NAIA Division II
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.610
2022-2023 record: 32-5
Located in Spring Arbor, Michigan, Spring Arbor University competes in NAIA Division II. Like LA Tech University, the graduation rate at Spring Arbor University is 60%, which is better than the 52% average for the study overall. Its admission rate of 47% is on very much on the competitive side, making it one of the hardest colleges to get into in Michigan. Based on NCES data, the costs of tuition and required fees are an estimated $31,660 per academic year, which makes it a bit more expensive than the in-state average of $28,463 and out-of-state average of $30,165 for the 137 colleges analyzed in our study.
The Spring Arbor Cougars compete in the Crossroads League. The Cougars women’s bowling team ended the 2022-2023 season with 32 wins and 5 losses. This put them in 9th place in the NAIA overall rankings.
9. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division III with football
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.571
2022-2023 record: 64-47
Located in — you guessed it — Whitewater, Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) is a college with bowling that’s on the larger side, with an undergraduate population of more than 9,300 students. The university’s graduation rate of 62% is a full 10 percentage points higher than the study's overall graduation rate of 52%. Being a public university that's just one branch of the overall University of Wisconsin System, it isn't too surprising its admission rate is not that competitive, at 82%. According to NCES data, its costs of tuition and required fees are on the more affordable end of the spectrum, costing an estimated $7,864 per academic year for in-state students and $17,039 for out-of-state students, both of which are cheaper than the averages for the study as a whole.
The UWW Warhawks compete in NCAA Division III with football, and their women's bowling team has scored three trips to National Collegiate NCAA Nationals (DI, DII and DIII) in 2013, 2014 and 2015, plus two National Semi-Finalist Finishes in 2014 and 2015. The women's bowling team finished the 2022-2023 season with 64 wins and 47 losses, enabling it to rank 23rd overall in the NCAA.
10. University of Central Missouri
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division II with football
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.577
2022-2023 record: 72-48
Located in Warrensburg, Missouri, the University of Central Missouri (UCMO) is on the larger side of our study of the best colleges with bowling. It has an undergraduate population of approximately 7,345 students and over11,600 students total. The University of Central Missouri has a graduation rate of 53%, which is 1 percentage point better than the study's average of 52%. Even though UCMO is a large state school, it has a comparatively competitive undergraduate acceptance rate of 70%, which is more selective than the study's average of 79%. In addition, UCMO also ranked among the best colleges for nursing in Missouri in a separate study conducted by BrokeScholar. In terms of cost to attend, UCMO is on the more affordable side, with estimated costs of tuition and fees being $9,413 for in-state students and $17,453 for out-of-state students, according to NCES data, both of which are cheaper than average.
The UCMO Jennies compete in NCAA Division II with football and are members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). The university’s women's bowling team finished the 2022-2023 season in 9th place, with 72 wins and 48 losses. This placed the UCMO Jennies at No. 21 overall in the NCAA rankings.
11. Cleary University
Type of institution: Private, not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NAIA Division I
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.403
2022-2023 record: 8-50
Cleary University is another Michigan college to make our list of the best colleges with bowling. Cleary University is the smallest college in our study, having an undergraduate population of approximately 719 students and only 891 students in total. Its undergraduate admission rate of 68% is better than the average for the study overall, which is 79%. Cleary University also has a better-than-average graduation rate, at 64%. What's more, its costs of tuition and required fees are cheaper than the study's averages: $23,629 versus $28,463 for in-state students and $30,165 for out-of-state students.
The Cleary Cougars compete in NAIA Division I. Unfortunately, though it stands out for its good academic scores, Cleary University's women's bowling team finished the 2022-2023 season very low in the rankings, with 8 wins and 50 losses.
12. University of Nebraska
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.633
2022-2023 record: 80-37
Located in the state capital of Lincoln, the University of Nebraska is the largest college in our study of the best colleges with bowling, having an undergraduate population of approximately 19,189 and nearly 24,000 students overall. While its admission rate of 79% is equal to the average for the study overall, its graduation rate of 65% is one the highest in the study. Furthermore, its costs of tuition and required fees are cheaper-than-average, with in-state students paying an estimated $9,872 and out-of-state students paying $26,984 per academic year. One cool thing to note is that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has its own scholarship, called the Marian Othmer Schultz Scholarship.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Division I-FBS. The University of Nebraska's women’s bowling teams finished at or near the top of their division. The men’s bowling team finished the 2022-2023 season in 4th place in the NCAA rankings, with 80 wins versus 37 losses.
13. University of Alabama at Birmingham
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.499
2022-2023 record: 45-62
As its name suggests, UAB is located in Birmingham, Alabama, and, besides ranking among the best colleges with bowling, is also one of the best biomedical engineering schools in America. According to NCES data, the estimated costs of tuition and required fees are $8,832 per academic year for in-state students and $21,216 for out-of-state students, both rates being cheaper than the study's averages for in-state and out-of-state tuition costs. The university’s graduation rate of 64% is 12 percentage points better than the study's overall average, while its admission rate of 87% is the highest out of the 15 best colleges with bowling.
The UAB Blazers compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and, as of July 2023, now plays in the American Athletic Conference. The UAB women’s bowling team finished the 2022-2023 season just below 500, posting up 45 wins and 62 losses. This placed them at No. 48 overall in NCAA rankings.
14. Illinois Wesleyan University
Type of institution: Private, not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division III with football
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.354
2022-2023 record: 2-60
Illinois Wesleyan is located in Bloomington, Illinois, and has an undergraduate population of over 1,500 students, all of them undergraduates. The university;’s graduation rate is above the average of the study overall, at 79% versus 52%, while its admission rate of 42% makes it the third hardest college to get into of the 15 best colleges with bowling. Since Illinois Wesleyan only contains undergraduate students, it only offers bachelor's degrees. According to NCES data, the costs of tuition and required fees are an estimated $53,814, which is markedly higher than the study’s overall averages of $28,463 for in-state students and $30,165 for out-of-state students. Interestingly, Illinois Wesleyan has the highest rate of students with private student loans.
Competing in NCAA Division III with football, the Illinois Wesleyan Titans women's bowling team play in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW). Though Illinois Wesleyan has better-than-average academic scores in our study, in terms of the women’s bowling team, there’s room for improvement. In the 2022-2023 season, the women’s bowling team finished out the same season with only 2 wins and 60 losses.
15. University of St. Francis
Type of institution: Private, not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NAIA Division I
Women’s bowling team RPI: 0.645
2022-2023 record: 41-4
Located in Joliet, Illinois, the University of St. Francis combines a strong academic record with impressive bowling teams. The university has a graduation rate of 65%, which is one of the highest rates in our study. And its admission rate of 58% puts it on the more selective side of the 137 colleges with bowling analyzed in the study overall. What kept the University of St. Francis from ranking higher is its above-average costs of tuition and required fees, which are an estimated $36,000 per academic year, according to NCES data.
The St. Francis Fighting Saints compete in NAIA Division I. And when it comes to colleges with bowling in our study, the Fighting Saints are excellent. In the 2022-2023 season, the women’s bowling team finished No. 3 overall in NAIA rankings, with an excellent record of 41 wins and 4 losses.
An Important Note On Our Study of the Best Colleges With Bowling
This study analyzed and ranked 137 colleges with varsity women’s bowling teams in terms of their graduation rates, admission rates, and costs of tuition. This study was not a ranking of the colleges with the best bowling teams, although many of the colleges that made this list did rank highly in their collegiate sports divisions. The approach here was instead a balanced analysis of each college with varsity bowling teams that evaluated their academic record and expense of attending.
For a look at purely the colleges with the best bowling teams, their rankings can be found at the following pages:
Another key point about bowling at the NCAA level is that collegiate bowling in the NCAA is only open to women.
The Bottom Line on the Best Colleges With Bowling
It should be noted that a number of the colleges with bowling listed above also ranked among the best colleges academically in their respective states. So, not only can you attend these colleges to pursue your passion of bowling, but you can get a solid education as well. Plus, like almost every college sport, there are bowling scholarships available based on talent, GPA requirements, letters of recommendation, and other qualifications. A great resource for finding bowling scholarships is the United States Bowling Congress (USBC). This organization has awarded more than $6 million in annual scholarships to youth bowlers based on academic, leadership, and on-lane performances. Thus, if you’re an avid and talented bowler with the right educational credentials, you could potentially land a money-saving scholarship to attend college and flex your athletic muscles.
Methodology
This study of the best colleges with bowling teams on the varsity level, both men’s and women’s, was based on data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Factors analyzed included the following:
- Graduation rate
- Admission rate
- In-state cost of tuition and required fees (2023 academic year)
- Out-of-state cost of tuition and required fees (2023 academic year)
Each college was given a score for these factors, with the scores then added up, and finally ranked from best to worst. Individual college bowling team records and RPI figures were sourced from the NAIA and NCAA rankings pages.
