by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 23 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 weighs 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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University of Connecticut earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Storrs, CT. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $901,331, against $901,331 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $20,776 per athlete.
Northeastern University landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Boston, MA, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Northeastern University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. The program generates about $177,601 in revenue per athlete, against $177,601 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $24,558 per athlete.
Boston College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 63% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $135,686, compared with $414,554 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,391.
Boston University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. The program generates about $152,546 in revenue per athlete, compared with $152,546 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $27,954 per athlete.
Providence College landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Providence, RI, Providence College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. Team revenue averages $344,772 per participant, compared with $344,772 spent per athlete. The school awards about $25,955 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fairfield University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Fairfield, CT. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. The program generates about $209,449 in revenue per athlete, compared with $209,449 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $19,587 per athlete.
College of the Holy Cross landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Worcester, MA, College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 92%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $157,485, with expenses of about $157,485 per participant. Athletic aid averages $17,801 per athlete.
Quinnipiac University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Hamden, CT. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 79%. Team revenue averages $156,226 per participant, compared with $156,226 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,084 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Rhode Island placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). University of Rhode Island is a public school based in Kingston, RI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, alongside a GSR of 88%. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $290,033, against $288,205 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,857.
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Durham, NH, University of New Hampshire-Main Campus is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $112,408, against $112,408 in expenses. The school awards about $19,869 in athletic aid per athlete.
Harvard University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The program generates about $117,629 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $117,629 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Merrimack College placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 83%. The program generates about $93,446 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $93,446 per participant. The school awards about $20,394 in athletic aid per athlete.
Yale University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in New Haven, CT, Yale 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 program generates about $107,502 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $107,502 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Vermont did well this year, earning the #14 position. University of Vermont is a public school based in Burlington, VT. 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 39%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $104,353, with expenses of about $104,325 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,164.
Dartmouth College placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Hanover, NH. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Team revenue averages $74,690 per participant, compared with $74,690 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bryant University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Smithfield, RI, Bryant University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Team revenue averages $73,853 per participant, compared with $73,853 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,982 per athlete.
Sacred Heart University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Fairfield, CT, Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 964, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Team revenue averages $143,824 per participant, compared with $143,824 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,128 per athlete.
Stonehill College placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Easton, MA, Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 993, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 90% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $68,902 in revenue per athlete, against $68,902 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,278.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell landed the #19 spot this year. University of Massachusetts-Lowell is a public school based in Lowell, MA. University of Massachusetts-Lowell records an NCAA APR of 974, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. The program generates about $134,416 in revenue per athlete, compared with $134,416 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,361 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Maine came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Located in Orono, ME, University of Maine is a public institution. University of Maine records an NCAA APR of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 53% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $116,248 per participant, compared with $116,248 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,613 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst did well this year, earning the #21 position. Based in Amherst, MA, University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 29% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $63,053, against $63,053 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $17,175 per athlete.
Brown University landed the #22 spot this year. Located in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 987, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Team revenue averages $69,716 per participant, with expenses of about $69,716 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Central Connecticut State University landed the #23 spot this year. Based in New Britain, CT, Central Connecticut State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 965, alongside a GSR of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 73%. The program generates about $85,643 in revenue per athlete, against $85,643 in expenses. The school awards about $7,791 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. 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.