by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 21 colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division I) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Learn more about these schools below:
University of Iowa earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Iowa City, IA, University of Iowa is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $164,807, with expenses of about $292,505 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,176.
University of Missouri-Columbia came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Columbia, MO, University of Missouri-Columbia is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $359,274, against $359,274 in expenses. The school awards about $16,637 in athletic aid per athlete.
Iowa State University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Ames, IA, Iowa State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. The program generates about $80,082 in revenue per athlete, against $352,188 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,185 per athlete.
Creighton University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Omaha, NE, Creighton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Creighton University records an NCAA APR of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $116,504, compared with $287,825 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,224 per athlete.
University of Kansas landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. This public school is set in Lawrence, KS. The team's NCAA APR score is 980, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $392,295 per participant, compared with $392,295 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,506.
Saint Louis University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Louis, MO. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. Team revenue averages $219,204 per participant, with expenses of about $219,204 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,446.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities came in at #7 in this year's ranking. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a public school based in Minneapolis, MN. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 45% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $78,039 per participant, with expenses of about $313,682 per participant. The school awards about $27,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kansas State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Manhattan, KS, Kansas State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 75% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Team revenue averages $148,860 per participant, compared with $148,860 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,682 per athlete.
Missouri State University-Springfield came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Springfield, MO. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 984, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $201,562, with expenses of about $201,562 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,364.
South Dakota State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Brookings, SD, South Dakota State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 79%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $143,775, against $143,775 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,424 per athlete.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. The program generates about $39,935 in revenue per athlete, compared with $121,842 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,793.
Drake University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Des Moines, IA, Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. Team revenue averages $75,346 per participant, against $75,346 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $10,413 per athlete.
University of South Dakota ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Vermillion, SD, University of South Dakota is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 79% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $110,889 per participant, compared with $110,889 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,323 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lindenwood University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Saint Charles, MO, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 73%. Team revenue averages $86,634 per participant, against $86,634 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,722 per athlete.
University of North Dakota placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. University of North Dakota is a public school based in Grand Forks, ND. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 986, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 60% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $108,738 in revenue per athlete, compared with $108,738 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,250 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Missouri-Kansas City ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public school based in Kansas City, MO. The team's NCAA APR score is 958, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 42% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $153,953 in revenue per athlete, compared with $146,119 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,225 per athlete.
Wichita State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Based in Wichita, KS, Wichita State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. The program generates about $126,733 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $126,733 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,114.
University of Northern Iowa ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. This public school is set in Cedar Falls, IA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. The program generates about $64,185 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $64,185 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,720 per athlete.
University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public school based in Omaha, NE. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 960, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Team revenue averages $137,373 per participant, compared with $140,928 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,713.
Southeast Missouri State University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division I) in Plains States. Located in Cape Girardeau, MO, Southeast Missouri State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 985, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 57%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $77,736, against $77,736 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,582 per athlete.
North Dakota State University-Main Campus did well this year, earning the #21 position. This public school is set in Fargo, ND. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 964, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 33%. Team revenue averages $131,045 per participant, against $131,045 in expenses. The school awards about $8,886 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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.
