by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 7 programs for Women’s Basketball (Division I) 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:
No school ranked higher than University of Michigan-Ann Arbor this year for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Ann Arbor, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,625, compared with $162,747 spent per athlete. The school awards about $28,650 in athletic aid per athlete.
Michigan State University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in East Lansing, MI, Michigan State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $452,938, compared with $452,938 spent per athlete. The school awards about $22,500 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Michigan University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #3. Based in Kalamazoo, MI, Western Michigan University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 62%. Team revenue averages $117,067 per participant, with expenses of about $117,067 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,248.
Oakland University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Rochester Hills, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 91%. Team revenue averages $123,823 per participant, against $123,823 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,959 per athlete.
Central Michigan University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #5. This public school is set in Mount Pleasant, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 981, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $116,137, with expenses of about $116,137 per participant. The school awards about $12,123 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Detroit Mercy ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Detroit, MI, University of Detroit Mercy is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 951, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 29%. The program generates about $131,429 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $131,429 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,135.
Eastern Michigan University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 971, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $80,497, with expenses of about $80,497 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,547.
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.