by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 13 schools for Women’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than University of Cincinnati-Main Campus this year for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Cincinnati, OH, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 62%. The program generates about $338,478 in revenue per athlete, against $338,478 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,882 per athlete.
University of Toledo is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #2. Based in Toledo, OH, University of Toledo is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $171,624, against $171,624 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,660.
Ohio State University-Main Campus landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Columbus, OH, Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Ohio State University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 973, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. About 25% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $511,683, with expenses of about $511,683 per participant. Athletic aid averages $27,151 per athlete.
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Bowling Green, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $141,293 in revenue per athlete, against $139,739 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,840.
University of Dayton earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Dayton, OH, University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 89%. Team revenue averages $116,562 per participant, compared with $275,184 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,913 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio University-Main Campus ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Athens, OH, Ohio University-Main Campus is a public institution. Ohio University-Main Campus records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 79%. The program generates about $123,087 in revenue per athlete, compared with $123,087 spent per athlete. The school awards about $17,284 in athletic aid per athlete.
Xavier University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Cincinnati, OH, Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution. Xavier University records an NCAA APR of 981, alongside a GSR of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $231,022, with expenses of about $231,022 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,280 per athlete.
Kent State University at Kent came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Kent, OH, Kent State University at Kent is a public institution. Kent State University at Kent records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 69%. The program generates about $137,797 in revenue per athlete, against $137,797 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,976 per athlete.
Miami University-Oxford ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Miami University-Oxford is a public school based in Oxford, OH. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $69,575 in revenue per athlete, compared with $69,575 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,790.
Cleveland State University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Cleveland State University is a public school based in Cleveland, OH. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $123,557, with expenses of about $144,236 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,645.
Youngstown State University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Youngstown, OH, Youngstown State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 85% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 44%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $98,589, with expenses of about $98,589 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,634.
University of Akron Main Campus placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Akron, OH, University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 971, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Team revenue averages $103,274 per participant, compared with $103,274 spent per athlete. The school awards about $12,189 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wright State University-Main Campus ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Dayton, OH, Wright State University-Main Campus is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $102,417 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $102,417 per participant. The school awards about $6,387 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.