by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 30 programs for Women’s Basketball (Division II) 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.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Point Loma Nazarene University, our #1 college for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in San Diego, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $57,655, compared with $57,655 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $14,927 per athlete.
Biola University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Biola University is a private not-for-profit school based in La Mirada, CA. The program generates about $53,734 in revenue per athlete, compared with $53,157 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,338.
Azusa Pacific University landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Azusa, CA. The program generates about $51,340 in revenue per athlete, against $50,420 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $11,069 per athlete.
Dominican University of California landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit school based in San Rafael, CA. The program generates about $42,206 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $42,206 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,270.
Westmont College is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division II), at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Barbara, CA. Team revenue averages $44,593 per participant, against $45,535 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,511.
Western Washington University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Bellingham, WA, Western Washington University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $75,335, against $75,335 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,961 per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Pomona, CA, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,115, compared with $48,256 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,180.
Seattle Pacific University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Seattle, WA, Seattle Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,048, against $48,048 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,836.
Saint Martin's University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Lacey, WA, Saint Martin's University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $54,754 in revenue per athlete, compared with $54,754 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,343 in athletic aid per athlete.
Concordia University-Irvine did well this year, earning the #10 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Irvine, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $44,015, against $44,015 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,027 per athlete.
California State University-San Bernardino came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in San Bernardino, CA, California State University-San Bernardino is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $69,132, compared with $68,251 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,698 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Chico came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Chico, CA. The program generates about $52,258 in revenue per athlete, compared with $49,567 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,367 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fresno Pacific University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Fresno, CA. The program generates about $45,880 in revenue per athlete, compared with $42,892 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $9,517 per athlete.
Menlo College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Menlo College is a private not-for-profit school based in Atherton, CA. The program generates about $43,128 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $43,128 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,086.
California State University-Stanislaus did well this year, earning the #15 position. This public school is set in Turlock, CA. Team revenue averages $45,468 per participant, with expenses of about $45,468 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,043.
University of California-Merced did well this year, earning the #16 position. Located in Merced, CA, University of California-Merced is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,864, compared with $16,314 spent per athlete. The school awards about $1,179 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-East Bay did well this year, earning the #17 position. California State University-East Bay is a public school based in Hayward, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,402, against $60,402 in expenses. The school awards about $5,078 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sonoma State University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Rohnert Park, CA, Sonoma State University is a public institution. The program generates about $38,766 in revenue per athlete, compared with $38,766 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,732 per athlete.
California State University-Monterey Bay did well this year, earning the #19 position. This public school is set in Seaside, CA. The program generates about $34,210 in revenue per athlete, against $34,181 in expenses. The school awards about $2,951 in athletic aid per athlete.
Central Washington University landed the #20 spot this year. Located in Ellensburg, WA, Central Washington University is a public institution. The program generates about $52,338 in revenue per athlete, compared with $41,430 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,377.
California State University-Los Angeles did well this year, earning the #21 position. Located in Los Angeles, CA, California State University-Los Angeles is a public institution. The program generates about $49,111 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $49,111 per participant. The school awards about $3,687 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Alaska Anchorage placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Anchorage, AK, University of Alaska Anchorage is a public institution. Team revenue averages $76,099 per participant, compared with $76,099 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,371 per athlete.
University of Alaska Fairbanks did well this year, earning the #23 position. University of Alaska Fairbanks is a public school based in Fairbanks, AK. Team revenue averages $49,410 per participant, against $48,603 in expenses. The school awards about $12,144 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Hawaii at Hilo placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Hilo, HI, University of Hawaii at Hilo is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $43,456, with expenses of about $43,456 per participant. The school awards about $6,498 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Dominguez Hills landed the #25 spot this year. Located in Carson, CA, California State University-Dominguez Hills is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,295, with expenses of about $36,295 per participant. The school awards about $3,780 in athletic aid per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.
