by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 258 schools for Women’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Point Loma Nazarene University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Point Loma Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in San Diego, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $57,655, with expenses of about $57,655 per participant. Athletic aid averages $14,927 per athlete.
Colorado School of Mines came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Golden, CO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $54,518, compared with $54,518 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,984 per athlete.
Bentley University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Waltham, MA, Bentley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $96,059 per participant, compared with $87,028 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,029 in athletic aid per athlete.
Thomas Jefferson University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division II), at #4. Located in Philadelphia, PA, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $61,612 per participant, against $61,612 in expenses. The school awards about $13,341 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rollins College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Winter Park, FL, Rollins College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $65,535 per participant, against $65,535 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,632 per athlete.
Union University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Jackson, TN, Union University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $58,752 in revenue per athlete, compared with $55,203 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $17,895 per athlete.
Gannon University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Erie, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $65,534, with expenses of about $65,534 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,313 per athlete.
Nova Southeastern University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $73,409, compared with $73,409 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $13,636 per athlete.
Michigan Technological University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Houghton, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,664, with expenses of about $48,664 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,159 per athlete.
Biola University did well this year, earning the #10 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in La Mirada, CA. Team revenue averages $53,734 per participant, with expenses of about $53,157 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,338.
Eckerd College placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Eckerd College is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Petersburg, FL. Team revenue averages $67,289 per participant, with expenses of about $67,289 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,706.
Azusa Pacific University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Azusa Pacific University is a private not-for-profit school based in Azusa, CA. The program generates about $51,340 in revenue per athlete, compared with $50,420 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,069 per athlete.
Florida Southern College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Lakeland, FL, Florida Southern College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $59,366 per participant, with expenses of about $59,366 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,785.
Harding University landed the #14 spot this year. Based in Searcy, AR, Harding University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $41,156 per participant, compared with $42,327 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,216.
Maryville University of Saint Louis ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Louis, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $52,696, compared with $50,588 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,338.
Saint Michael's College ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Saint Michael's College is a private not-for-profit school based in Colchester, VT. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,664, with expenses of about $60,664 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,634 per athlete.
Seattle Pacific University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Seattle, WA, Seattle Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $48,048 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $48,048 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,836.
Florida Institute of Technology landed the #18 spot this year. Based in Melbourne, FL, Florida Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $47,915 per participant, against $47,915 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,103 per athlete.
Dominican University of California landed the #19 spot this year. Based in San Rafael, CA, Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $42,206 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $42,206 per participant. The school awards about $7,270 in athletic aid per athlete.
Grand Valley State University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Allendale, MI, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $64,422 per participant, compared with $63,292 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,088.
Cedarville University landed the #21 spot this year. Based in Cedarville, OH, Cedarville University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $52,224 in revenue per athlete, compared with $52,224 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,791 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lewis University did well this year, earning the #22 position. Located in Romeoville, IL, Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $43,176 in revenue per athlete, compared with $43,176 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,669.
Westmont College came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, Westmont College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,593, against $45,535 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,511.
Saint Anselm College did well this year, earning the #24 position. Based in Manchester, NH, Saint Anselm College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $67,267, with expenses of about $65,521 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,219 per athlete.
Rockhurst University did well this year, earning the #25 position. Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit school based in Kansas City, MO. Team revenue averages $31,920 per participant, against $31,920 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,130.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
These colleges narrowly missed the top tiers:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Northern Michigan University | Marquette, MI |
| 52 | Pittsburg State University | Pittsburg, KS |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
