by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 14 schools for Women’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Villanova University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Villanova University is a private not-for-profit school based in Villanova, PA. Villanova University records an NCAA APR of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 92% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $184,230 per participant, with expenses of about $184,230 per participant. Athletic aid averages $25,480 per athlete.
Lehigh University landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Bethlehem, PA, Lehigh 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%. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $163,515, against $163,515 in expenses. The school awards about $19,391 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus is a public school based in Pittsburgh, PA. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $213,826, against $213,826 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $30,613 per athlete.
Drexel University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Philadelphia, PA. Drexel University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 92%. The program generates about $103,672 in revenue per athlete, against $103,672 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,843.
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Philadelphia, PA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $201,367 in revenue per athlete, compared with $201,367 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,694.
Bucknell University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Lewisburg, PA, Bucknell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Bucknell University records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 92%. The program generates about $112,582 in revenue per athlete, against $112,582 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,655.
Temple University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Temple University is a public school based in Philadelphia, PA. The team's NCAA APR score is 955, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $342,973 per participant, compared with $342,973 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,567.
Duquesne University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Duquesne University is a private not-for-profit institution. Duquesne University records an NCAA APR of 989, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 92%. The program generates about $237,236 in revenue per athlete, compared with $237,236 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,755 per athlete.
Lafayette College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Easton, PA, Lafayette College is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Team revenue averages $181,839 per participant, against $181,839 in expenses. The school awards about $18,987 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is a public school based in University Park, PA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 983, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $60,158 per participant, compared with $392,458 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $25,170 per athlete.
University of Pennsylvania landed the #11 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Philadelphia, PA. University of Pennsylvania records an NCAA APR of 993, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $54,555 in revenue per athlete, against $54,555 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Robert Morris University landed the #12 spot this year. Robert Morris University is a private not-for-profit school based in Moon Township, PA. The team's NCAA APR score is 980, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 53% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $115,161 per participant, compared with $115,161 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,083 per athlete.
La Salle University placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Philadelphia, PA, La Salle University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 58% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $81,534 in revenue per athlete, compared with $81,534 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,413.
Saint Francis University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Loretto, PA, Saint Francis University is a private not-for-profit institution. The Graduation Success Rate here is 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. The program generates about $109,143 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $109,143 per participant. The school awards about $13,253 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.