by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 17 programs for Women’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Boise State University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Boise, ID, Boise State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 36%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $166,425, with expenses of about $166,425 per participant. Athletic aid averages $29,790 per athlete.
University of Denver landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Denver, CO. University of Denver records an NCAA APR of 987, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. About 60% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $170,998, with expenses of about $170,998 per participant. Athletic aid averages $42,890 per athlete.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Fort Collins, CO, Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 23%. Team revenue averages $173,319 per participant, with expenses of about $173,319 per participant. Athletic aid averages $21,001 per athlete.
University of Colorado Boulder came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). University of Colorado Boulder is a public school based in Boulder, CO. University of Colorado Boulder records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. The program generates about $97,394 in revenue per athlete, against $215,718 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,674.
Montana State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Montana State University is a public school based in Bozeman, MT. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 996, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. Team revenue averages $132,962 per participant, with expenses of about $160,264 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,472.
University of Utah landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Salt Lake City, UT, University of Utah is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 42%. The program generates about $54,627 in revenue per athlete, against $358,269 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $29,047 per athlete.
University of Wyoming placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Laramie, WY. University of Wyoming records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. The program generates about $85,907 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $85,907 per participant. The school awards about $17,612 in athletic aid per athlete.
Brigham Young University landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Provo, UT, Brigham Young University is a private not-for-profit institution. Brigham Young University records an NCAA APR of 975, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Team revenue averages $97,922 per participant, against $317,678 in expenses. The school awards about $13,191 in athletic aid per athlete.
Idaho State University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Idaho State University is a public school based in Pocatello, ID. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 58% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $112,787, with expenses of about $112,787 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,538.
University of Idaho came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Moscow, ID, University of Idaho is a public institution. University of Idaho records an NCAA APR of 990, alongside a GSR of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 65%. Team revenue averages $103,796 per participant, compared with $103,796 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,739.
Utah Valley University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Orem, UT, Utah Valley University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 44%. The program generates about $97,923 in revenue per athlete, against $97,923 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,013 per athlete.
The University of Montana landed the #12 spot this year. This public school is set in Missoula, MT. The team's NCAA APR score is 974, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $83,499, against $143,104 in expenses. The school awards about $12,798 in athletic aid per athlete.
Utah State University placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Logan, UT, Utah State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 955, and a 87% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 39%. The program generates about $99,297 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $99,297 per participant. The school awards about $14,542 in athletic aid per athlete.
Weber State University landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Ogden, UT, Weber State University is a public institution. Weber State University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $69,439 per participant, against $69,439 in expenses. The school awards about $10,446 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Northern Colorado came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Greeley, CO, University of Northern Colorado is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, and a 91% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 43%. Team revenue averages $62,968 per participant, against $62,968 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $12,220 per athlete.
Southern Utah University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Cedar City, UT, Southern Utah University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 965, with a Graduation Success Rate of 89%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $73,442 per participant, against $80,422 in expenses. The school awards about $10,065 in athletic aid per athlete.
Utah Tech University landed the #17 spot this year. Based in Saint George, UT, Utah Tech University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 968, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Team revenue averages $94,090 per participant, compared with $93,481 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,796.
*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.