by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 117 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.
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Learn more about these schools below:
Wake Forest University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit school based in Winston-Salem, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Team revenue averages $213,767 per participant, against $213,767 in expenses. The school awards about $38,933 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Kentucky earned the #2 place for student athletes. University of Kentucky is a public school based in Lexington, KY. University of Kentucky records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $589,199 in revenue per athlete, against $589,199 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $23,921 per athlete.
Vanderbilt University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $297,136 in revenue per athlete, compared with $297,136 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $42,235 per athlete.
Duke University landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Duke University is a private not-for-profit school based in Durham, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $367,260, compared with $723,542 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $34,321 per athlete.
Clemson University landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Clemson, SC. Clemson University records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. The program generates about $388,672 in revenue per athlete, compared with $388,672 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,730 per athlete.
Tulane University of Louisiana did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in New Orleans, LA, Tulane University of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit institution. Tulane University of Louisiana records an NCAA APR of 984, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 87% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $249,965, against $247,246 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $36,413.
University of Richmond came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in University of Richmond, VA, University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. About 61% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $271,906 per participant, with expenses of about $271,906 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,609.
University of Mississippi came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in University, MS, University of Mississippi is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 25%. The program generates about $565,288 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $565,288 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,457.
Furman University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Greenville, SC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $150,658, against $150,658 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $28,699 per athlete.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Knoxville, TN, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 45% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $145,078, against $251,994 in expenses. The school awards about $29,054 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Raleigh, NC, North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. The program generates about $119,867 in revenue per athlete, against $477,126 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,384.
University of South Carolina-Columbia ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public school based in Columbia, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $423,205 in revenue per athlete, compared with $423,205 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $18,645 per athlete.
University of Central Florida did well this year, earning the #13 position. This public school is set in Orlando, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 43% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $279,712 in revenue per athlete, against $279,712 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,195.
University of Miami ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 979, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $495,403 in revenue per athlete, compared with $495,403 spent per athlete. The school awards about $38,474 in athletic aid per athlete.
Samford University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Birmingham, AL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $115,862 per participant, compared with $107,148 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,864 per athlete.
Belmont University landed the #16 spot this year. Belmont University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 92% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $229,261 in revenue per athlete, compared with $229,261 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $21,742 per athlete.
Elon University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Based in Elon, NC, Elon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Elon University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $101,978, compared with $101,978 spent per athlete. The school awards about $25,795 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public school based in Chapel Hill, NC. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $78,962 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $211,863 per participant. The school awards about $17,771 in athletic aid per athlete.
Campbell University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Buies Creek, NC, Campbell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Campbell University records an NCAA APR of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 93%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $150,274, with expenses of about $150,274 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,433 per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus landed the #20 spot this year. This public school is set in Charlottesville, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. The program generates about $152,542 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $152,542 per participant. The school awards about $26,976 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Fort Myers, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $179,843, with expenses of about $179,843 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,812 per athlete.
Liberty University landed the #22 spot this year. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lynchburg, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Team revenue averages $213,390 per participant, against $213,390 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,589.
University of Louisville came in at #23 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Louisville, KY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 53%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $327,525, with expenses of about $268,031 per participant. The school awards about $21,083 in athletic aid per athlete.
Old Dominion University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Norfolk, VA, Old Dominion University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 985, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $248,170, against $248,170 in expenses. The school awards about $24,728 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida State University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Florida State University is a public school based in Tallahassee, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 988, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. The program generates about $478,002 in revenue per athlete, against $478,002 in expenses. The school awards about $13,364 in athletic aid per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.