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2026 Best Colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division I) in Louisiana

12 Colleges Ranked
967 Avg NCAA APR*
86% Avg Grad Success Rate*
Women's Basketball (Division I) Badge

For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 12 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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Top 12 Colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division I)

Learn more about these schools below:

1

Tulane University of Louisiana tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in New Orleans, LA, Tulane University of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 87%. The program generates about $249,965 in revenue per athlete, compared with $247,246 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $36,413.

2

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Baton Rouge, LA, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a public institution. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College records an NCAA APR of 972, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 70% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $318,305 per participant, compared with $930,709 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,802 in athletic aid per athlete.

3

Louisiana Tech University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #3. Based in Ruston, LA, Louisiana Tech University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Team revenue averages $144,866 per participant, with expenses of about $144,866 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,736.

4

University of Louisiana at Lafayette ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a public school based in Lafayette, LA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 953, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $141,498, compared with $141,498 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,444 per athlete.

5

Southeastern Louisiana University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #5. Based in Hammond, LA, Southeastern Louisiana University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 974, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $81,524 in revenue per athlete, against $81,524 in expenses. The school awards about $11,131 in athletic aid per athlete.

6

Southern University and A & M College placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Baton Rouge, LA, Southern University and A & M College is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, and a 89% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 69%. Team revenue averages $55,995 per participant, compared with $68,084 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,045 in athletic aid per athlete.

7

University of Louisiana at Monroe ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). University of Louisiana at Monroe is a public school based in Monroe, LA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 955, alongside a GSR of 67%. Its federal graduation rate is 26%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $110,726, compared with $110,726 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,350.

8
McNeese State University crest
McNeese State University
Lake Charles, LA

McNeese State University landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Lake Charles, LA, McNeese State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 972, and a 84% Graduation Success Rate. About 47% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,941, compared with $73,941 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,441 in athletic aid per athlete.

9

University of New Orleans placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). University of New Orleans is a public school based in New Orleans, LA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 958, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Team revenue averages $82,073 per participant, compared with $82,073 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,626.

10

Northwestern State University of Louisiana did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Natchitoches, LA, Northwestern State University of Louisiana is a public institution. Northwestern State University of Louisiana records an NCAA APR of 950, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 47%. Team revenue averages $68,433 per participant, against $64,616 in expenses. The school awards about $12,805 in athletic aid per athlete.

11

Grambling State University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Grambling State University is a public school based in Grambling, LA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 969, alongside a GSR of 82%. The federal graduation rate stands at 47%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $69,235, with expenses of about $69,235 per participant. The school awards about $8,778 in athletic aid per athlete.

12

Nicholls State University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Nicholls State University is a public school based in Thibodaux, LA. The team's NCAA APR score is 942, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. Its federal graduation rate is 44%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $55,283, compared with $52,314 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,823.

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Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.

The ranking above is published 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

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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