by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 9 colleges 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Northeastern University to be the best college for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Massachusetts. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $177,601, with expenses of about $177,601 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,558.
Boston University landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $152,546 in revenue per athlete, against $152,546 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,954.
Boston College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. Boston College records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 63%. The program generates about $135,686 in revenue per athlete, compared with $414,554 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,391.
College of the Holy Cross earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Worcester, MA. 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 92%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $157,485, compared with $157,485 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,801.
Harvard University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #5. Based in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Team revenue averages $117,629 per participant, compared with $117,629 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Merrimack College placed #6 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%. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $93,446, against $93,446 in expenses. The school awards about $20,394 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stonehill College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit school based in Easton, MA. The team's NCAA APR score is 993, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 90%. The program generates about $68,902 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $68,902 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,278 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Lowell, MA, University of Massachusetts-Lowell is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 974, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $134,416, against $134,416 in expenses. The school awards about $11,361 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst came in at #9 in this year's ranking. University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public school based in Amherst, MA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 978, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 29%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $63,053, against $63,053 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,175.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.