by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 8 programs 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
University of Kentucky tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Lexington, KY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $589,199, against $589,199 in expenses. The school awards about $23,921 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Louisville earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Louisville, KY, University of Louisville is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. The program generates about $327,525 in revenue per athlete, compared with $268,031 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,083.
Murray State University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Murray, KY, Murray State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 39%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $151,376, with expenses of about $119,028 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,774 per athlete.
Western Kentucky University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Western Kentucky University is a public school based in Bowling Green, KY. Western Kentucky University records an NCAA APR of 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. About 44% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $127,730 in revenue per athlete, against $127,730 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $14,243 per athlete.
Bellarmine University landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Bellarmine University is a private not-for-profit school based in Louisville, KY. Bellarmine University records an NCAA APR of 995, and a 84% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. The program generates about $127,707 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $127,707 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,105.
Eastern Kentucky University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Eastern Kentucky University is a public school based in Richmond, KY. The team's NCAA APR score is 967, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $102,261 per participant, compared with $102,261 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,644 per athlete.
Northern Kentucky University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Northern Kentucky University is a public school based in Highland Heights, KY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 43% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $99,616 per participant, against $99,616 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,809.
Morehead State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Morehead, KY, Morehead State University is a public institution. Morehead State University records an NCAA APR of 924, and a 72% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 54%. Team revenue averages $84,525 per participant, against $89,140 in expenses. The school awards about $4,170 in athletic aid per athlete.
*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
See our data sources and methodologies.