by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 19 colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Wake Forest University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit school based in Winston-Salem, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Team revenue averages $213,767 per participant, against $213,767 in expenses. The school awards about $38,933 in athletic aid per athlete.
Duke University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Durham, NC, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, and a 87% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $367,260, with expenses of about $723,542 per participant. The school awards about $34,321 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #3. Located in Raleigh, NC, North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. Team revenue averages $119,867 per participant, with expenses of about $477,126 per participant. The school awards about $18,384 in athletic aid per athlete.
Campbell University landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Buies Creek, NC, Campbell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Campbell University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 93%. Team revenue averages $150,274 per participant, with expenses of about $150,274 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,433 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Team revenue averages $78,962 per participant, with expenses of about $211,863 per participant. The school awards about $17,771 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elon University landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Elon, NC. Elon University records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $101,978 per participant, compared with $101,978 spent per athlete. The school awards about $25,795 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davidson College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in Davidson, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $199,362 per participant, against $192,076 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,830.
East Carolina University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). East Carolina University is a public school based in Greenville, NC. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $201,715 in revenue per athlete, against $200,704 in expenses. The school awards about $12,584 in athletic aid per athlete.
High Point University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in High Point, NC, High Point University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. The program generates about $178,601 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $160,343 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,469.
Appalachian State University did well this year, earning the #10 position. This public school is set in Boone, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 69% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $118,976, against $118,976 in expenses. The school awards about $14,299 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Charlotte, NC, University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution. University of North Carolina at Charlotte records an NCAA APR of 983, alongside a GSR of 75%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $256,771, with expenses of about $174,300 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,522.
University of North Carolina Wilmington landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Wilmington, NC, University of North Carolina Wilmington is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 984, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $117,246, compared with $117,246 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,667.
North Carolina Central University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. North Carolina Central University is a public school based in Durham, NC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 989, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. The program generates about $79,957 in revenue per athlete, compared with $79,957 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,804.
Queens University of Charlotte came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Based in Charlotte, NC, Queens University of Charlotte is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 979, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $104,379, against $104,379 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,282 per athlete.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Based in Greensboro, NC, University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, and a 81% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 46%. Team revenue averages $122,211 per participant, compared with $122,211 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,162 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gardner-Webb University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Boiling Springs, NC, Gardner-Webb University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 952, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. The program generates about $92,997 in revenue per athlete, against $92,997 in expenses. The school awards about $14,936 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Carolina University placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Western Carolina University is a public school based in Cullowhee, NC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 31%. The program generates about $98,577 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $98,577 per participant. The school awards about $6,960 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of North Carolina Asheville placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Asheville, NC, University of North Carolina Asheville is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 969, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $75,726 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $75,726 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,593.
North Carolina A & T State University did well this year, earning the #19 position. Located in Greensboro, NC, North Carolina A & T State University is a public institution. North Carolina A & T State University records an NCAA APR of 975, and a 76% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. The program generates about $118,475 in revenue per athlete, compared with $118,475 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,465 in athletic aid 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.