by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 13 programs for Women’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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:
Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best college for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Illinois. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit school based in Evanston, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 998, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. The program generates about $102,876 in revenue per athlete, against $365,754 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $53,919.
Northern Illinois University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #2. This public school is set in Dekalb, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $220,672 per participant, with expenses of about $220,005 per participant. The school awards about $16,138 in athletic aid per athlete.
Loyola University Chicago came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Chicago, IL, Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 970, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $238,330 per participant, compared with $238,330 spent per athlete. The school awards about $23,325 in athletic aid per athlete.
DePaul University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). DePaul University is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $344,959, with expenses of about $344,959 per participant. The school awards about $23,928 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Champaign, IL. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $84,096 per participant, with expenses of about $279,171 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,398.
Bradley University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Peoria, IL, Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 56% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $114,827 per participant, compared with $114,827 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,583 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Normal, IL, Illinois State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. Team revenue averages $145,504 per participant, against $145,504 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,477 per athlete.
University of Illinois Chicago ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Chicago, IL, University of Illinois Chicago is a public institution. University of Illinois Chicago records an NCAA APR of 982, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $174,334 in revenue per athlete, compared with $174,334 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,167.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Carbondale, IL, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is a public institution. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale records an NCAA APR of 957, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $118,003, against $118,003 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,525.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Edwardsville, IL, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. Team revenue averages $54,576 per participant, with expenses of about $54,576 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,334 per athlete.
Western Illinois University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Macomb, IL. Western Illinois University records an NCAA APR of 974, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $84,166, compared with $84,166 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,303 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Illinois University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Eastern Illinois University is a public school based in Charleston, IL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. About 47% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $49,908, with expenses of about $49,908 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,653.
Chicago State University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Chicago, IL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, with a Graduation Success Rate of 40%. The federal graduation rate stands at 19%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $83,867, against $83,867 in expenses. The school awards about $9,877 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.