by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 931 programs for Women’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Rice University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Located in Houston, TX, Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $288,407 in revenue per athlete, compared with $288,407 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $41,166.
Northwestern University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Evanston, IL. Northwestern University records an NCAA APR of 998, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $102,876 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $365,754 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53,919.
Wake Forest University landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball. Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit school based in Winston-Salem, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $213,767, with expenses of about $213,767 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $38,933.
New York University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #4. Located in New York, NY, New York University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $37,386 in revenue per athlete, against $36,897 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Los Angeles landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Los Angeles, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $334,154, with expenses of about $334,154 per participant. The school awards about $24,306 in athletic aid per athlete.
Johns Hopkins University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,271, compared with $20,271 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,612.
Emory University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Based in Atlanta, GA, Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,876, against $28,223 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Chicago landed the #8 spot this year. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,177, against $23,177 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Stanford University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Stanford, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $328,629 in revenue per athlete, compared with $328,629 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
Washington University in St Louis landed the #10 spot this year. Located in St. Louis, MO, Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $30,848 in revenue per athlete, against $29,226 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bowdoin College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Brunswick, ME, Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $37,578 in revenue per athlete, compared with $31,282 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of San Francisco landed the #12 spot this year. University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit school based in San Francisco, CA. University of San Francisco records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Team revenue averages $269,032 per participant, compared with $269,032 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $31,788.
Northeastern University landed the #13 spot this year. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $177,601, against $177,601 in expenses. The school awards about $24,558 in athletic aid per athlete.
Indiana University-Bloomington did well this year, earning the #14 position. Indiana University-Bloomington is a public school based in Bloomington, IN. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $251,167 in revenue per athlete, compared with $251,167 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,161.
Colgate University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Hamilton, NY, Colgate University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 996, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 93% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $158,391 in revenue per athlete, against $158,391 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $22,658 per athlete.
University of Kentucky ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Lexington, KY. University of Kentucky records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $589,199, with expenses of about $589,199 per participant. The school awards about $23,921 in athletic aid per athlete.
Villanova University placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Villanova, PA. Villanova University records an NCAA APR of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 92% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $184,230 in revenue per athlete, against $184,230 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $25,480 per athlete.
University of Connecticut placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Storrs, CT. University of Connecticut records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. Team revenue averages $901,331 per participant, with expenses of about $901,331 per participant. The school awards about $20,776 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lehigh University landed the #19 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bethlehem, PA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $163,515, against $163,515 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,391.
Fairfield University landed the #20 spot this year. Located in Fairfield, CT, Fairfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. The program generates about $209,449 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $209,449 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,587 per athlete.
Pepperdine University landed the #21 spot this year. Located in Malibu, CA, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 74% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $177,408 per participant, compared with $177,408 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,861.
Tufts University came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Based in Medford, MA, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $19,362 per participant, compared with $17,790 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Southern Methodist University landed the #23 spot this year. Located in Dallas, TX, Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $563,691 in revenue per athlete, compared with $563,691 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $56,388.
Carnegie Mellon University did well this year, earning the #24 position. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,738, compared with $18,921 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Amherst College came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Amherst College is a private not-for-profit school based in Amherst, MA. The program generates about $28,227 in revenue per athlete, compared with $28,227 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
To learn more about the colleges below, click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA |
| 52 | University of Dayton | Dayton, OH |
| 53 | Hamilton College | Clinton, NY |
| 54 | University of Tulsa | Tulsa, OK |
| 55 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA |
| 56 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh, NC |
| 57 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | Seattle, WA |
| 58 | Samford University | Birmingham, AL |
| 59 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
| 60 | Stevens Institute of Technology | Hoboken, NJ |
| 61 | Chapman University | Orange, CA |
| 62 | Georgetown University | Washington, DC |
| 63 | Colorado School of Mines | Golden, CO |
| 64 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 65 | Brandeis University | Waltham, MA |
These schools also stood out this year:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 141 | Monmouth University | West Long Branch, NJ |
| 142 | Butler University | Indianapolis, IN |
| 143 | University of California-Davis | Davis, CA |
| 144 | Michigan Technological University | Houghton, MI |
| 145 | Florida Gulf Coast University | Fort Myers, FL |
| 146 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 147 | Emerson College | Boston, MA |
| 148 | Centre College | Danville, KY |
| 149 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI |
| 150 | Christopher Newport University | Newport News, VA |
| 151 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 152 | University of California-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 153 | Manhattan University | Riverdale, NY |
| 154 | University of South Florida | Tampa, FL |
| 155 | University of North Texas | Denton, TX |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 156 | Hofstra University | Hempstead, NY |
| 157 | Montana State University | Bozeman, MT |
| 158 | Kent State University at Kent | Kent, OH |
| 159 | Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR |
| 160 | Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA |
| 161 | Connecticut College | New London, CT |
| 162 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL |
| 163 | Purdue University-Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN |
| 164 | Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA |
| 165 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL |
| 166 | University of Denver | Denver, CO |
| 167 | Rockhurst University | Kansas City, MO |
| 168 | Denison University | Granville, OH |
| 169 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 170 | University of Oregon | Eugene, OR |
| 171 | Dickinson College | Carlisle, PA |
| 172 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 173 | Yeshiva University | New York, NY |
| 174 | Cedarville University | Cedarville, OH |
| 175 | DePauw University | Greencastle, IN |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 176 | Wofford College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 177 | Appalachian State University | Boone, NC |
| 178 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 179 | Biola University | La Mirada, CA |
| 180 | Saint Anselm College | Manchester, NH |
| 181 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 182 | Muhlenberg College | Allentown, PA |
| 183 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL |
| 184 | Gannon University | Erie, PA |
| 185 | Harding University | Searcy, AR |
| 186 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.