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2023 Top Plains States Region Women's D3 Basketball Schools

32 Colleges
$42,565 Avg Tuition & Fees*
64% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

When it comes to choosing a college, student athletes have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Colleges for Division III Women's Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking.

We analyzed 32 colleges and universities across the Plains States Region to determine which were the best for D3 Women's Basketball athletes in the Plains States Region. Our ranking is based on several objective factors, including the school's overall quality and the athletic competitiveness of the school. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. So, even if a school has a great team, it won't place well if it is also considered a low quality college or university.

Find out more about our ranking methodology.

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Top Colleges in the Plains States Region for D3 Women's Basketball athletes in the Plains States Region

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$392,056 Team Revenue
$60,590 Avg Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Washington University in St Louis the best school for D3 Women’s Basketball athletes in the Plains States Region working on their bachelor’s degree. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,428 bachelor’s degrees in . The team at WUSTL took home $392,056 in revenue and paid out $381,038 in expenses in recent times. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $11,018. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. WUSTL also took the #1 spot in our overall quality rankings. Read More…

2
UST MN crest
University of St Thomas Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$1,165,978 Team Revenue
$50,366 Avg Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Colleges for D3 Women’s Basketball athletes in the Plains States Region list. UST MN is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,722 bachelor’s degrees in . Speaking financially, the D3 Women’s Basketball team at UST MN took home $1,165,978 in revenue. In addition to its great ranking here, UST MN is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

3
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota
#10 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$236,562 Team Revenue
$53,030 Avg Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend Gustavus Adolphus College. The school came in at #3 in this year’s ranking. Gustavus Adolphus College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Saint Peter, Minnesota that handed out 682 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Women’s Basketball team at Gustavus Adolphus brought home $236,562 in revenue in a single year. In addition to its great ranking here, Gustavus Adolphus is in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

4
Cornell College crest
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa
#23 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$300,862 Team Revenue
$49,158 Avg Tuition & Fees

The excellent sports programs at Cornell College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for D3 Women’s Basketball athletes in the Plains States Region. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and it awarded 279 bachelor’s degrees in . The team at Cornell College took home $300,862 in revenue and paid out $219,188 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $81,674, which isn’t bad at all. Cornell College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our overall quality list. Full Cornell College Sports Report

5
Bethel University Minnesota crest
Bethel University Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Top 15% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$107,874 Team Revenue
$41,270 Avg Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend Bethel University Minnesota. The school came in at #5 in this year’s ranking. Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 737 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the D3 Women’s Basketball team at Bethel University Minnesota made $107,874 in revenue. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Bethel University Minnesota also is in the top 15% of our overall quality ranking. Full Bethel University Minnesota Sports Report

6
Wartburg crest
Wartburg College
Waverly, Iowa

Wartburg College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. Wartburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Waverly, Iowa. It awarded 398 bachelor’s degrees in . Speaking financially, the D3 Women’s Basketball team at Wartburg took home $158,440 in revenue. Read More…

7
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Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa
#5 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$150,627 Team Revenue
$61,480 Avg Tuition & Fees

Grinnell College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. Grinnell is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Grinnell, Iowa. It awarded 558 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the D3 Women’s Basketball team at Grinnell made $150,627 in revenue. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Grinnell not only placed well in this ranking, but it is also #5 on our overall quality list. Read More…

8
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Luther College
Decorah, Iowa
#18 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$166,926 Team Revenue
$48,160 Avg Tuition & Fees

Luther College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region list. Located in Decorah, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 499 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . The D3 Women’s Basketball team at Luther made $166,926 in revenue, while incurring $132,401 in expenses. Thus, the team actually made $34,525, which isn’t bad at all. Luther excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our overall quality list. Full Luther College Sports Report

9
Top 25% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$139,650 Team Revenue
$16,250 Avg Tuition & Fees

University of Minnesota - Morris ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region list. UMN Morris is a public institution located in Morris, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 349 bachelor’s degrees in . Speaking financially, the D3 Women’s Basketball team at UMN Morris took home $139,650 in revenue. Read full sports report on University of Minnesota - Morris

10
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota
#4 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$212,782 Team Revenue
$62,500 Avg Tuition & Fees

Macalester College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region list. Macalester is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 711 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Women’s Basketball team at Macalester made $212,782 in revenue, while incurring $199,737 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $13,045. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Macalester not only placed well in this ranking, but it is also #4 on our overall quality list. Read full sports report on Macalester College

11
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Webster University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region list. Webster is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 689 bachelor’s degrees in . Webster brought in $194,855 while tallying up $164,955 in expenses for its D3 Women’s Basketball team. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $29,900 in profit. Read full sports report on Webster University

12
Loras crest
Loras College
Dubuque, Iowa

Loras College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region list. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 362 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . On the financial side of things, the D3 Women’s Basketball team at Loras made $234,323 in revenue. Read full sports report on Loras College

13
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota
#2 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$158,641 Team Revenue
$62,634 Avg Tuition & Fees

Carleton College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region list. Carleton College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 555 bachelor’s degrees in . The team at Carleton took home $158,641 in revenue and paid out $145,919 in expenses in recent times. Thus, the team actually made $12,722, which isn’t bad at all. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Carleton also took the #2 spot in our overall quality rankings. Read More…

14
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
#8 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$162,438 Team Revenue
$54,650 Avg Tuition & Fees

St Olaf College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 969 bachelor’s degrees in . St. Olaf brought in $162,438 while tallying up $159,014 in expenses for its D3 Women’s Basketball team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $3,424. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, St. Olaf also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis. Full St Olaf College Sports Report

15

University of Northwestern - St Paul landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. Northwestern is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 707 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates. The D3 Women’s Basketball team at Northwestern made $85,294 in revenue, while incurring $83,194 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $2,100 in profit. Full University of Northwestern - St Paul Sports Report

16
Augsburg crest
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Augsburg University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #16. Augsburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 572 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Women’s Basketball team at Augsburg brought home $159,495 in revenue in a single year. Read full sports report on Augsburg University

17
Coe crest
Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Top 20% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$145,069 Team Revenue
$50,664 Avg Tuition & Fees

Coe College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region list. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 434 students in . The D3 Women’s Basketball team at Coe brought home $145,069 in revenue in a single year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. On top of its placing in this ranking, Coe also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis. Read full sports report on Coe College

18
Central crest
Central College
Pella, Iowa
#24 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$134,691 Team Revenue
$19,800 Avg Tuition & Fees

Central College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. Central is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pella, Iowa. It awarded 259 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Women’s Basketball team at Central brought home $134,691 in revenue in a single year. Central also claimed a spot on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Read More…

19
Concordia College Moorhead crest
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota
#16 in Quality in the Plains States Region
$164,882 Team Revenue
$28,916 Avg Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #19, Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. Concordia College Moorhead is a private not-for-profit institution located in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 453 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Women’s Basketball team at Concordia College Moorhead brought home $164,882 in revenue in a single year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Concordia College Moorhead also is in the top 10% of our overall quality ranking. Read More…

20

Nebraska Wesleyan University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. Nebraska Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 467 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Women’s Basketball team at NWU made $107,857 in revenue, while incurring $100,989 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $6,868. Read More…

21
MLC crest
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, Minnesota
Top 20% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$77,846 Team Revenue
$17,420 Avg Tuition & Fees

Martin Luther College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. MLC is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Ulm, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 173 bachelor’s degrees in . On the financial side of things, the D3 Women’s Basketball team at MLC made $77,846 in revenue. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, MLC also is in the top 20% of our overall quality ranking. Read full sports report on Martin Luther College

22

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region list. SMU MN is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 424 bachelor’s degrees in . Speaking financially, the D3 Women’s Basketball team at SMU MN took home $130,010 in revenue. Read More…

23
Simpson College crest
Simpson College
Indianola, Iowa
Top 25% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$192,500 Team Revenue
$45,108 Avg Tuition & Fees

Simpson College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Indianola, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 388 bachelor’s degrees in . The D3 Women’s Basketball team at Simpson College brought home $192,500 in revenue in a single year. Read More…

24
Fontbonne University crest
Fontbonne University
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #24, Fontbonne University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. Fontbonne University is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 147 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates. The D3 Women’s Basketball team at Fontbonne University made $104,738 in revenue, while incurring $102,842 in expenses. Thus, the team actually made $1,896, which isn’t bad at all. Full Fontbonne University Sports Report

25
Top 20% in Quality in the Plains States Region
$150,779 Team Revenue
$39,410 Avg Tuition & Fees

The College of Saint Scholastica came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Division III Women’s Basketball in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 761 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in . The D3 Women’s Basketball team at St. Scholastica made $150,779 in revenue, while incurring $143,640 in expenses. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $7,139. St. Scholastica excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our overall quality list. Read More…

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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