by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 7 colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on 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.
Not quite what you need? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Brigham Young University, our #1 college for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Provo, UT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 975, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. The program generates about $97,922 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $317,678 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,191.
University of Utah earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Salt Lake City, UT, University of Utah 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 42%. Team revenue averages $54,627 per participant, against $358,269 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $29,047 per athlete.
Utah Valley University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Orem, UT, Utah Valley University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 44%. Team revenue averages $97,923 per participant, compared with $97,923 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,013.
Utah State University landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Logan, UT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 955, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. The federal graduation rate stands at 39%. Team revenue averages $99,297 per participant, with expenses of about $99,297 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,542.
Weber State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Ogden, UT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate 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. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,446.
Southern Utah University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Southern Utah University is a public school based in Cedar City, UT. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 965, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,442, with expenses of about $80,422 per participant. The school awards about $10,065 in athletic aid per athlete.
Utah Tech University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Saint George, UT, Utah Tech University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 968, alongside a GSR of 83%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $94,090, against $93,481 in expenses. The school awards about $9,796 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.