by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 6 schools 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:
Leading the list is University of Missouri-Columbia, our #1 college for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Columbia, MO. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 64% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $359,274 per participant, with expenses of about $359,274 per participant. Athletic aid averages $16,637 per athlete.
Saint Louis University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Saint Louis, MO, Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Saint Louis University records an NCAA APR of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 42%. The program generates about $219,204 in revenue per athlete, against $219,204 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,446 per athlete.
Lindenwood University landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball (Division I). 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. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $86,634, against $86,634 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,722.
Missouri State University-Springfield earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Springfield, MO, Missouri State University-Springfield is a public institution. Missouri State University-Springfield records an NCAA APR of 984, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. The program generates about $201,562 in revenue per athlete, compared with $201,562 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,364 per athlete.
University of Missouri-Kansas City ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division I). This public school is set in Kansas City, MO. University of Missouri-Kansas City records an NCAA APR of 958, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 42%. Team revenue averages $153,953 per participant, with expenses of about $146,119 per participant. The school awards about $13,225 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southeast Missouri State University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Cape Girardeau, MO, Southeast Missouri State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 985, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $77,736, compared with $77,736 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,582 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
See our data sources and methodologies.