by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 13 schools for Women’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
Learn more about these schools below:
University of Central Florida earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Orlando, FL, University of Central Florida is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 43%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $279,712, with expenses of about $279,712 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,195.
Florida Gulf Coast University earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Fort Myers, FL. Florida Gulf Coast University records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. The program generates about $179,843 in revenue per athlete, compared with $179,843 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $18,812 per athlete.
University of Florida came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Gainesville, FL, University of Florida is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 36%. The program generates about $16,940 in revenue per athlete, compared with $394,094 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $23,180.
University of Miami landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Coral Gables, FL, University of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 979, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $495,403 per participant, with expenses of about $495,403 per participant. The school awards about $38,474 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida State University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #5. Located in Tallahassee, FL, Florida State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 988, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Team revenue averages $478,002 per participant, compared with $478,002 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,364 per athlete.
University of South Florida came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Tampa, FL, University of South Florida is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 91%. Its federal graduation rate is 47%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $363,102, compared with $363,102 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,287 in athletic aid per athlete.
Florida International University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Miami, FL, Florida International University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 17%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $78,587, against $78,587 in expenses. The school awards about $16,058 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stetson University landed the #8 spot this year. Based in DeLand, FL, Stetson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 35%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $148,225, with expenses of about $148,225 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,035.
University of North Florida placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Jacksonville, FL, University of North Florida is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 38%. The program generates about $95,949 in revenue per athlete, compared with $95,949 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,675 per athlete.
Florida Atlantic University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Boca Raton, FL, Florida Atlantic University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 979, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 47%. The program generates about $122,432 in revenue per athlete, compared with $122,432 spent per athlete. The school awards about $16,971 in athletic aid per athlete.
Jacksonville University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Jacksonville, FL. The team's NCAA APR score is 949, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. The program generates about $132,853 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $132,853 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,287 per athlete.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Tallahassee, FL, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public institution. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University records an NCAA APR of 985, alongside a GSR of 57%. The federal graduation rate stands at 21%. The program generates about $20,903 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $51,871 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,235 per athlete.
Bethune-Cookman University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Daytona Beach, FL, Bethune-Cookman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Bethune-Cookman University records an NCAA APR of 964, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 58% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $78,150, against $78,150 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,940.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.