by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 13 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 evaluates each program using 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 Richmond tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This private not-for-profit school is set in University of Richmond, VA. University of Richmond records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. Team revenue averages $271,906 per participant, compared with $271,906 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $27,609 per athlete.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Blacksburg, VA. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University records an NCAA APR of 988, alongside a GSR of 85%. The federal graduation rate stands at 31%. The program generates about $186,054 in revenue per athlete, compared with $405,454 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $29,706 per athlete.
Old Dominion University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I). Old Dominion University is a public school based in Norfolk, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 62%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $248,170, with expenses of about $248,170 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,728.
Liberty University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lynchburg, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. Team revenue averages $213,390 per participant, against $213,390 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,589 per athlete.
James Madison University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division I), at #5. Located in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 71%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $132,490, with expenses of about $132,490 per participant. The school awards about $19,945 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Commonwealth University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Richmond, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 981, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $284,626 in revenue per athlete, against $284,626 in expenses. The school awards about $20,187 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus landed the #7 spot this year. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school based in Charlottesville, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 973, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $152,542 in revenue per athlete, compared with $152,542 spent per athlete. The school awards about $26,976 in athletic aid per athlete.
William & Mary came in at #8 in this year's ranking. William & Mary is a public school based in Williamsburg, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 86%. Team revenue averages $94,684 per participant, against $179,431 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
George Mason University did well this year, earning the #9 position. George Mason University is a public school based in Fairfax, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 62%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $241,968, with expenses of about $241,968 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,956 per athlete.
Longwood University landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Farmville, VA, Longwood University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $120,300, against $133,503 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,569.
Radford University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Radford University is a public school based in Radford, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 975, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $95,122 in revenue per athlete, against $95,122 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,467 per athlete.
Hampton University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Hampton, VA, Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, alongside a GSR of 70%. The federal graduation rate stands at 27%. The program generates about $111,976 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $117,099 per participant. The school awards about $18,394 in athletic aid per athlete.
Norfolk State University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Norfolk, VA, Norfolk State University is a public institution. Norfolk State University records an NCAA APR of 971, alongside a GSR of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $165,284, with expenses of about $165,284 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,545 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
See our data sources and methodologies.