by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 6 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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
University of Mississippi earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in University, MS, University of Mississippi is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 25%. Team revenue averages $565,288 per participant, with expenses of about $565,288 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,457.
University of Southern Mississippi landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Hattiesburg, MS, University of Southern Mississippi is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. The program generates about $136,702 in revenue per athlete, compared with $136,702 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,309 per athlete.
Mississippi State University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Mississippi State, MS, Mississippi State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 948, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Team revenue averages $243,278 per participant, compared with $243,278 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,143.
Jackson State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Jackson State University is a public school based in Jackson, MS. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 975, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $57,586 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $57,586 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,647 per athlete.
Alcorn State University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #5. Alcorn State University is a public school based in Alcorn State, MS. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 975, and a 71% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $81,701, against $81,701 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,599 per athlete.
Mississippi Valley State University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Mississippi Valley State University is a public school based in Itta Bena, MS. Mississippi Valley State University records an NCAA APR of 892, and a 74% Graduation Success Rate. About 43% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,200, against $34,390 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,569 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.