by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. This list ranks 26 programs 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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Michigan Technological University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division II). 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.
Lewis University landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). Lewis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Romeoville, IL. Team revenue averages $43,176 per participant, against $43,176 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,669 per athlete.
Cedarville University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Cedarville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedarville, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $52,224, compared with $52,224 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,791.
Grand Valley State University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Grand Valley State University is a public school based in Allendale, MI. Team revenue averages $64,422 per participant, compared with $63,292 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,088.
Northwood University landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Midland, MI, Northwood University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $43,680 per participant, against $43,680 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,948 per athlete.
Ashland University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Ashland, OH, Ashland University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $70,097 per participant, with expenses of about $70,097 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,808 per athlete.
Northern Michigan University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Marquette, MI, Northern Michigan University is a public institution. The program generates about $52,192 in revenue per athlete, compared with $52,664 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,323.
University of Indianapolis ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Indianapolis, IN, University of Indianapolis is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,965, with expenses of about $42,965 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,002.
Lake Superior State University landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in Sault Ste Marie, MI. The program generates about $35,502 in revenue per athlete, compared with $35,502 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,276 per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University landed the #10 spot this year. Saginaw Valley State University is a public school based in University Center, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $51,755, against $51,755 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,118 per athlete.
McKendree University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Lebanon, IL, McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $38,615 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $38,615 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,695.
University of Illinois Springfield ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Springfield, IL, University of Illinois Springfield is a public institution. Team revenue averages $37,067 per participant, against $37,067 in expenses. The school awards about $4,768 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davenport University landed the #13 spot this year. Davenport University is a private not-for-profit school based in Grand Rapids, MI. Team revenue averages $51,697 per participant, with expenses of about $51,697 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,850 per athlete.
Walsh University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Walsh University is a private not-for-profit school based in North Canton, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $26,400, with expenses of about $25,023 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,087.
Ferris State University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Big Rapids, MI. The program generates about $49,920 in revenue per athlete, against $49,920 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,572 per athlete.
Ursuline College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Pepper Pike, OH. The program generates about $37,070 in revenue per athlete, against $37,070 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,040 per athlete.
Malone University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Canton, OH, Malone University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $35,229 in revenue per athlete, compared with $35,229 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,372 per athlete.
Roosevelt University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Chicago, IL, Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $40,507 in revenue per athlete, against $40,507 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,633 per athlete.
Quincy University placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Quincy University is a private not-for-profit school based in Quincy, IL. The program generates about $37,162 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $37,280 per participant. The school awards about $8,507 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ohio Dominican University landed the #20 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Columbus, OH. The program generates about $33,082 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $26,257 per participant. The school awards about $4,323 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Parkside landed the #21 spot this year. University of Wisconsin-Parkside is a public school based in Kenosha, WI. The program generates about $38,392 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $38,392 per participant. The school awards about $4,060 in athletic aid per athlete.
Purdue University Northwest landed the #22 spot this year. Based in Hammond, IN, Purdue University Northwest is a public institution. The program generates about $28,267 in revenue per athlete, compared with $28,267 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,013 per athlete.
Shawnee State University came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Located in Portsmouth, OH, Shawnee State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $29,620, with expenses of about $28,665 per participant. The school awards about $3,174 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Erie College landed the #24 spot this year. Based in Painesville, OH, Lake Erie College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $19,682 per participant, compared with $19,682 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,781.
Tiffin University landed the #25 spot this year. Based in Tiffin, OH, Tiffin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,540, with expenses of about $17,540 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,785.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.