by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 10 schools 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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Samford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Birmingham, AL. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $115,862 per participant, with expenses of about $107,148 per participant. Athletic aid averages $20,864 per athlete.
The University of Alabama ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Tuscaloosa, AL, The University of Alabama is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. Team revenue averages $181,119 per participant, against $181,119 in expenses. The school awards about $20,760 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Alabama at Birmingham is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #3. This public school is set in Birmingham, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 987, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $171,850, with expenses of about $162,352 per participant. The school awards about $17,655 in athletic aid per athlete.
Auburn University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Auburn, AL, Auburn University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. Its federal graduation rate is 38%. Team revenue averages $40,376 per participant, against $276,772 in expenses. The school awards about $28,233 in athletic aid per athlete.
Jacksonville State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Jacksonville State University is a public school based in Jacksonville, AL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 968, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $131,528, against $131,528 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,761 per athlete.
Troy University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Troy University is a public school based in Troy, AL. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 961, alongside a GSR of 90%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $145,101, with expenses of about $143,115 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,487.
University of North Alabama placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Florence, AL, University of North Alabama is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. About 56% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $95,495 in revenue per athlete, against $95,495 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,402 per athlete.
University of South Alabama ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Mobile, AL. University of South Alabama records an NCAA APR of 986, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $125,360, against $128,353 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,705 per athlete.
Alabama A & M University landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in Normal, AL. The team's NCAA APR score is 944, and a 87% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. The program generates about $64,682 in revenue per athlete, compared with $59,155 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,274 per athlete.
Alabama State University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Montgomery, AL, Alabama State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 970, alongside a GSR of 81%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $66,461 in revenue per athlete, against $66,461 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,418.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.