To a large majority of Americans, water polo merely seems like a sport only played at the Olympics. But for a significant minority of Americans, water polo is not just a sport but a way of life. Thus, water polo is very popular among prospective college students and, when researching colleges to apply to, many applicants look to see if a certain school has a varsity water polo team.
Women’s water polo, in particular, is exceptionally popular on the collegiate level. Besides being a popular college sport, women’s water polo is also a popular sports scholarship to win. And that could mean big savings on the cost of college. However, for our purposes here, BrokeScholar decided to zero in on the best colleges with women’s water polo teams in terms of their academic quality as well as in terms of affordability. We considered graduation rates, admission rates, and costs of tuition and required fees. We made note which athletic sanction body these colleges with women’s water polo 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 women’s water polo on the varsity level.
The Best Colleges With Women’s Water Polo
When it comes to the best colleges with women’s water polo, out of the top 15 best, 9 of the schools are public institutions, mainly very large state colleges. The other 6 colleges with women’s water polo are private not-for-profit colleges. Of the top 15 best colleges with women’s water polo, the highest graduation rate is a staggering 96%.
Another obvious pattern is the fact that 4 out of the top 5 best colleges with women’s water polo play in NCAA Division I-FBS, the highest level of athletics in US colleges. But plenty of other colleges belong to other athletic sanction bodies, such as NCAA Division II without football or NCAA Division III with football or NCAA Division I-FCS. On top of all that, several of the schools among the top 15 best colleges with women’s water polo are also among the top colleges in their state, such as the University of Michigan.
According to NCES data, there are 52 colleges that have women’s water polo teams on the varsity level. We then analyzed those 52 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. (See the methodology section for more details).
Here’s a look at the best colleges with women’s water polo teams on the varsity level.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s water polo team record: 20-7
The University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) is a top-ranked public university located in the heart of Los Angeles, California. The school's women's water polo team has been a powerhouse in the sport since its inception in 1995. The team has won seven national championships, including four in a row from 2005-2008, and has consistently been ranked in the top five nationally. The UCLA women's water polo team has produced a number of talented athletes, including four-time Olympian and three-time NCAA champion Rachel Fattal and Olympian and NCAA champion Maddie Musselman. The Bruins’ women’s water polo team finished the 2023 season with 20 wins and 7 losses and will face UC Irvine in a championship match on May 12, 2023.
In terms of academics, UCLA tops our list of the best colleges with women’s water polo. The university boasts one of the highest graduation rates in the state of California, at 92%. In addition, UCLA is extremely competitive to get into. UCLA’s undergraduate acceptance rate is a mere 11%, far lower than the study’s overall average admission rate of 62%. It also makes UCLA one of the hardest colleges to get into in America.
University of California, Berkeley
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s water polo team record: 19-9
The University of California-Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is a public research university located in the San Francisco Bay Area. The school's women's water polo team has been a consistent contender in the sport since its first season in 1997. The team has won three national championships, in 2005, 2006, and 2010, and has had several players named to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation team, including Roser Tarrago and Stephanie Schnugg. For the 2023 season, the women’s water polo team finished with a respectable 19 wins to 9 losses, though did not earn a championship game.
It’s not exactly a secret that Berkeley is well-known for its high academic quality. Its graduation rate of 93% is superior to UCLA’s 92%. Berkeley also has one of the lowest undergraduate admission rates in California, at 14%. And of those 14% admitted, a full 43% go on to enroll at UC Berkeley, which is a good sign of serious student interest in attending the college.
University of Michigan
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s water polo team record: 30-8
The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school's women's water polo team has been a competitive force in the sport since its inception in 2000. The team has made it to the NCAA tournament five times and has had several players named to the All-Collegiate Water Polo Association team, including Julia Sellers and Heidi Ritner. The Wolverines’ women’s water polo team finished the 2023 season with an exceptional 23 wins and 10 losses.
Academically, the University of Michigan is arguably the best in the state. It boasts a graduation rate of 94%, which is 20 percentage points higher than the study’s overall average for the 52 colleges in the study. Additionally, getting admitted to UMich is tough. It is the hardest college to get into in Michigan, having an undergraduate acceptance rate of only 20%, and that’s for a massive state school like the University of Michigan.
San Diego State University
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s water polo team record: 12-19
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university located in San Diego, California. The school's women's water polo team has been a consistent contender in the sport since its first season in 2000. The team has made it to the NCAA tournament seven times and has had several players named to the All-Golden Coast Conference team, including Maddy Parenteau and Alyssa Diacono. The Aztecs’ women’s water polo team finished the 2023 season with a disappointing 12 wins to 19 losses.
In terms of academic quality, San Diego State is one of the best with women’s water polo. With an undergraduate acceptance rate of 38%, San Diego State is one of the hardest colleges in the Cal State system to get into. On the flipside, its graduation rate of 76% is also among the highest graduation rates in that same college system. On top of all this, San Diego State is comparatively affordable, having an in-state tuition that’s less than $10,000 per year and an out-of-state tuition of around $20,000, which is cheaper than most out-of-state tuition costs charged by public colleges in California.
University of California, San Diego
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division II without football
Women’s water polo team record: 14-17
The University of California-San Diego (UCSD) is a public research university located in La Jolla, California. The school's women's water polo team has been a dominant force in the sport since its inception in 2000. The team has won two national championships, in 2009 and 2010, and has consistently been ranked in the top five nationally. The UCSD women's water polo team has produced several talented players, including Olympian and NCAA champion Sarah Lizotte and NCAA champion Melissa Bartow. In the 2023 season, the UC San Diego women’s water polo team finished just under 500, with 14 wins to 17 losses.
UC San Diego is one of the biggest colleges in California, having more than 33,300 undergraduate students and nearly 42,000 students in total. Despite huge numbers of undergraduates, UC San Diego runs a rigorous academic apparatus. The graduation rate at UC San Diego is 89%, one of the best in the UC System. And with an admission rate of 34%, UC San Diego is also far more selective-than-average when it comes to applicants. UC San Diego is especially strong in the biology department, ranking among the best colleges for marine biology in the country.
University of California, Santa Barbara
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I without football
Women’s water polo team record: 18-11
The University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a public research university located in Santa Barbara, California. The school's women's water polo team has been a consistent contender in the sport since its first season in 1997. The team has made it to the NCAA tournament five times and has had several players named to the All-Big West team, including Kate Pipkin and Sarah Kreiser. UC Santa Barbara’s women’s water polo team ended the 2023 season with 18 wins to 11 losses, which was solid, but not enough to make the championship round.
Out of the many UC System schools, UC Santa Barbara is technically on the smaller side, despite having more than 23,000 undergraduate students. Still, UC Santa Barbara ranks among the best colleges with women’s water polo thanks to an impressive 85% graduation rate and highly selective admissions: Only 29% of applicants are admitted to this southern California school.
University of California, Irvine
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FCS
Women’s water polo team record: 20-6
The University of California-Irvine (UCI) is a public research university located in Irvine, California. The school's women's water polo team has been a strong competitor in the sport since its first season in 2000. The team has made it to the NCAA tournament six times and has had several players named to the All-Big West team, including Mary Brooks and Sara Kunac. Finishing out the season with 20 wins and 6 losses, the UC Irvine women’s water polo team will face off with UCLA on May 12, 2023, during the championship round.
UC Irvine is a large state school, having more than 29,400 undergraduates and more than 36,500 students in total. With a graduation rate of 84%, UC Irvine has one of the highest rates out of all schools in the University of California college system. Plus, with an undergraduate acceptance rate of only 29%, UC Irvine is one of the most selective colleges in California.
Stanford University
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s water polo team record: 21-1
Stanford University is a private research university located in Stanford, California. The school's women's water polo team has been a dominant force in the sport since its inception in 1995. The team has won seven national championships, including four in a row from 2014-2017, and has consistently been ranked in the top five nationally. The Stanford women's water polo team has produced several talented players, including Olympian and NCAA champion Maggie Steffens and NCAA champion Makenzie Fischer. For the 2023 season, the Stanford women’s water polo team finished with an astounding 21 wins to 1 loss and thus are going to the NCAA championships starting May 12, 2023.
As is well-known by most Americans, when it comes to academics, Stanford University is the cream of the crop. Stanford’s graduation rate is an incredible 96%, the highest rate in the whole study. But it’s in terms of admissions that Stanford University really stands out. The university’s undergraduate acceptance rate is a mere 4%, making it one of the most competitive colleges to get into in the US.
California State University, Long Beach
Type of institution: Private, not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s water polo team record: 18-8
California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) is a public university located in Long Beach, California. The school's women's water polo team has been a consistent contender in the sport since its first season in 1998. The team has made it to the NCAA tournament four times and has had several players named to the All-Big West team, including Jessica Brooks and Justine Morgan. Long Beach State’s women’s water polo team finished the 2023 season with 18 wins and 8 losses, which wasn’t enough to make it to the championship round.
Cal State, Long Beach is a large school, hosting roughly 34,000 undergraduates and over 40,000 students in total. Even with all those students, Long Beach State maintains a graduation rate of 75%, which is above the average for the study overall. For admissions, Long Beach State is no slouch when it comes to competitiveness. Its undergraduate acceptance rate is just 47%.
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Type of institution: Private not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division III without football
Women’s water polo team record: 4-17
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a private research university located in Pasadena, California. The school's women's water polo team has been a competitive force in the sport since its inception in 2001. The team has made it to the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) tournament five times and has had several players named to the All-SCIAC team, including Molly Cummins and Amber Haworth. Unfortunately, in the 2023 season, Caltech’s women’s water polo team finished with a very underwhelming 4 wins and 17 losses.
Caltech, whether it concerns technological schools or any college in general, is one of the best in the nation. It has a global reputation for its academic rigor, especially in their sciences and engineering, not surprisingly considering its name includes “Institute of Technology.” Caltech is incredibly selective with whom it admits, having an undergraduate acceptance rate of just 4%. And of those 4% admitted, more than half proceed to enroll, which is one of the best follow-up rates of any college. The main downside is that Caltech is an expensive college, costing close to $61,000 per year in tuition and required fees.
University of California, Davis
Type of institution: Public
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I without football
Women’s water polo team record: 15-14
The University of California-Davis (UC Davis) is a public research university located in Davis, California. The school's women's water polo team has been a consistent contender in the sport since its first season in 1997. The team has made it to the NCAA tournament twice and has had several players named to the All-Big West team, including Allyson Hansen and McKenna Hauss. By the end of the 2023 season, UC Davis’s women’s water polo team finished with 15 wins to 14 losses, missing the championship round.
UC Davis is a strong academic school even in the already academically robust University of California college system. UC Davis is one of the best colleges for environmental science, and despite having more than 31,000 undergraduate students, maintains a graduation rate of 87% — seven percentage points better than the study’s average as a whole. In terms of admissions, UC Davis accepts just under half of all applicants (49%).
University of Southern California (USC)
Type of institution: Private, not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FBS
Women’s water polo team record: 26-2
The University of Southern California (USC) is a private research university located in Los Angeles, California. The school's women's water polo team has been a dominant force in the sport since its inception in 1995. The team has won ten national championships, including six in a row from 2010-2015, and has consistently been ranked in the top five nationally. The USC women's water polo team has produced several talented players, including Olympian and NCAA champion Kaleigh Gilchrist and NCAA champion Maud Megens. With a stunning 2023 record of 26 wins to just 2 losses, the Trojans' women's water polo team faces Fresno State in the first round of the championships on May 12, 2023.
While, USC is broadly known by Americans for its excellent athletic teams — for example, being one of the colleges with the most Heisman Trophy winners — it is also academically a very high-quality university. With a graduation rate of 92%, USC ties UCLA’s excellent rate, while USC’s undergraduate acceptance rate of 13% makes it one of the hardest colleges with women’s water polo to get into.
Villanova University
Type of institution: Private, not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FCS
Women’s water polo team record: 14-19
Villanova University is a private research university located in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The school's women's water polo team has been a strong competitor in the sport since its first season in 2001. The team has made it to the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) tournament four times and has had several players named to the All-CWPA team, including Annina Cashell and Emily Loughlin. However, in the 2023 season, the Villanova women’s water polo team finished the season with a below-500 record of 14 wins to 19 losses.
But, considering this is a study of the all-around best colleges with women’s water polo rather than the colleges with the best water polo teams, Villanova ranks among the top 15 on this list for many reasons. Academically, Villanova is one of the strongest in the Keystone State and ranks among the best colleges for political science in Pennsylvania. The school boasts a superb graduation rate of 91%, much higher than the average graduation rate for all colleges in Pennsylvania. In terms of admissions, Villanova University is difficult to crack. It accepts only a quarter of applicants (25%), although only 29% of those admitted proceed to enroll at the college.
Macalester College
Type of institution: Private not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division III with football
Women’s water polo team record: 8-11
Macalester College is a private liberal arts college located in St. Paul, Minnesota. The school's women's water polo team has been a competitive force in the sport since its inception in 2005. The team has made it to the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III championship five times and has had several players named to the All-CWPA team, including Maddy Green and Lindsey Jansen. However, in an underwhelming season, Macalester’s women’s water polo team finished with 8 wins to 11 losses.
Macalester College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields, and notably ranks among the best colleges for psychology in the US. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1 and a small average class size of 16 students. Macalester College has a lively student life, with over 100 student organizations. Sporting a graduation rate of 90%, Macalester College has one of the highest rates in the state of Minnesota. What’s more, Macalester College’s undergraduate acceptance rate of 31% makes it one of the hardest colleges to get into in Minnesota.
Bucknell University
Type of institution: Private not-for-profit
Athletic sanction body: NCAA Division I-FCS
Women’s water polo team record: 5-26
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The school's women's water polo team has been a consistent contender in the sport since its first season in 2001. The team has made it to the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) championship eight times and has had several players named to the All-CWPA team, including Marta Considine and Julia Ulrich. Unfortunately, in the 2023 season, the Bucknell Bison’s women’s water polo team finished with a record of 5 wins to 26 losses.
The good news is that Bucknell University is a superb private liberal arts college. With an undergraduate population of over 3,700 students, Bucknell maintains one of the best graduation rates of all Pennsylvania colleges, at 88%. Indeed, Bucknell University ranked No. 6 out of the best colleges in Pennsylvania, in a separate BrokeScholar study. On the admissions front, Bucknell is more selective than most schools in the Keystone State, having an undergraduate acceptance rate of only 35%.
The Bottom Line on the Best Colleges With Women’s Water Polo
These top colleges and universities with competitive women’s water polo programs offer a great opportunity for athletes who excel in the sport to compete at the highest level. Each school has a unique program and team, with a history of success and talented players. Whether you're looking to play at the national championship level or simply want to be part of a fun and exciting sport, these schools offer a great opportunity to get involved in women’s water polo at the collegiate level.
It should be noted that several of the colleges with women’s water polo listed above also ranked among the best colleges academically in their respective states. Thus, not only can you attend these colleges to pursue your passion for women’s water polo, but you can get a solid education tool. What’s more, like almost every college sport, there are women’s water polo scholarships available based on talent, GPA requirements, letters of recommendation, and other qualifications. Browse BrokeScholar’s huge library of college scholarships to see if you can find one that’s ideal for you.
Methodology
This study of the best colleges with women’s water polo varsity teams was based on data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Factors analyzed included the following:
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Graduation rate
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Admission rate
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In-state cost of tuition and required fees (2023 academic year)
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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 women’s water polo team records were sourced from individual college websites.
