by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 12 programs 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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Learn more about these schools below:
No school ranked higher than Vanderbilt University this year for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Nashville, TN, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Team revenue averages $297,136 per participant, against $297,136 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,235.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Knoxville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 45% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $145,078 per participant, compared with $251,994 spent per athlete. The school awards about $29,054 in athletic aid per athlete.
Belmont University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Nashville, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 92% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $229,261 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $229,261 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,742.
Lipscomb University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit institution. Lipscomb University records an NCAA APR of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. About 85% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $167,922, compared with $167,922 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $18,176 per athlete.
Middle Tennessee State University landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). Located in Murfreesboro, TN, Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. About 38% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $219,947 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $219,947 per participant. The school awards about $20,110 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Memphis landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Memphis, TN. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 980, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $235,931, against $235,931 in expenses. The school awards about $16,106 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tennessee Technological University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Cookeville, TN, Tennessee Technological University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 984, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 85%. Team revenue averages $139,680 per participant, with expenses of about $139,680 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,453.
Austin Peay State University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Based in Clarksville, TN, Austin Peay State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 971, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. The program generates about $127,272 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $127,272 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,483.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga landed the #9 spot this year. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a public school based in Chattanooga, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 975, alongside a GSR of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $113,029, compared with $113,029 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,025 in athletic aid per athlete.
East Tennessee State University landed the #10 spot this year. This public school is set in Johnson City, TN. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, alongside a GSR of 81%. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $112,180 per participant, with expenses of about $112,180 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,444.
The University of Tennessee-Martin came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Martin, TN, The University of Tennessee-Martin is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 974, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $73,342 per participant, compared with $73,751 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,021.
Tennessee State University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Nashville, TN. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 931, with a Graduation Success Rate of 82%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $117,387, against $117,387 in expenses. The school awards about $13,651 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.