by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 21 colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs 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. Team revenue averages $57,655 per participant, with expenses of about $57,655 per participant. The school awards about $14,927 in athletic aid per athlete.
Biola University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division II), at #2. This private not-for-profit school is set in La Mirada, CA. The program generates about $53,734 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $53,157 per participant. The school awards about $12,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dominican University of California is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division II), at #3. Based in San Rafael, CA, Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $42,206 per participant, with expenses of about $42,206 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,270 per athlete.
Azusa Pacific University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Azusa, CA, Azusa Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $51,340 in revenue per athlete, compared with $50,420 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,069 in athletic aid per athlete.
Westmont College landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Barbara, CA. The program generates about $44,593 in revenue per athlete, against $45,535 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,511 per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona came in at #6 in this year's ranking. California State Polytechnic University-Pomona is a public school based in Pomona, CA. Team revenue averages $50,115 per participant, against $48,256 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,180 per athlete.
Concordia University-Irvine came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Irvine, CA, Concordia University-Irvine is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $44,015 per participant, compared with $44,015 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,027 per athlete.
California State University-San Bernardino came in at #8 in this year's ranking. California State University-San Bernardino is a public school based in San Bernardino, CA. The program generates about $69,132 in revenue per athlete, against $68,251 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,698.
California State University-Chico landed the #9 spot this year. California State University-Chico is a public school based in Chico, CA. Team revenue averages $52,258 per participant, compared with $49,567 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,367 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fresno Pacific University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Fresno, CA, Fresno Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $45,880 per participant, against $42,892 in expenses. The school awards about $9,517 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Stanislaus placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Turlock, CA. Team revenue averages $45,468 per participant, compared with $45,468 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,043 per athlete.
University of California-Merced ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Merced, CA, University of California-Merced is a public institution. Team revenue averages $16,864 per participant, compared with $16,314 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $1,179.
Sonoma State University landed the #13 spot this year. This public school is set in Rohnert Park, CA. The program generates about $38,766 in revenue per athlete, against $38,766 in expenses. The school awards about $3,732 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Monterey Bay came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Located in Seaside, CA, California State University-Monterey Bay is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $34,210, against $34,181 in expenses. The school awards about $2,951 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-East Bay came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Hayward, CA, California State University-East Bay is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $60,402, with expenses of about $60,402 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,078 per athlete.
Menlo College did well this year, earning the #16 position. Menlo College is a private not-for-profit school based in Atherton, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $43,128, with expenses of about $43,128 per participant. The school awards about $13,086 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State University-Los Angeles came in at #17 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Los Angeles, CA. Team revenue averages $49,111 per participant, with expenses of about $49,111 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,687.
California State University-Dominguez Hills came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Based in Carson, CA, California State University-Dominguez Hills is a public institution. The program generates about $36,295 in revenue per athlete, compared with $36,295 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,780 in athletic aid per athlete.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt landed the #19 spot this year. Based in Arcata, CA, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is a public institution. The program generates about $35,507 in revenue per athlete, against $42,439 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,418 per athlete.
California State University-San Marcos did well this year, earning the #20 position. California State University-San Marcos is a public school based in San Marcos, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,387, with expenses of about $29,387 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,157.
San Francisco State University did well this year, earning the #21 position. This public school is set in San Francisco, CA. Team revenue averages $32,638 per participant, against $32,638 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $2,480 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.
