by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 10 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Adelphi University this year for Women's Basketball (Division II). Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit school based in Garden City, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,728, compared with $31,728 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,963 in athletic aid per athlete.
Le Moyne College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Syracuse, NY, Le Moyne College is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. The program generates about $115,479 in revenue per athlete, compared with $106,984 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,944 in athletic aid per athlete.
St. Thomas Aquinas College landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Sparkill, NY. The program generates about $44,432 in revenue per athlete, compared with $44,432 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,813.
Molloy University landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). Molloy University is a private not-for-profit school based in Rockville Centre, NY. Team revenue averages $22,615 per participant, with expenses of about $22,361 per participant. The school awards about $5,589 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pace University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division II), at #5. Pace University is a private not-for-profit school based in New York, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,806, compared with $47,951 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $7,466 per athlete.
Daemen University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Amherst, NY, Daemen University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $43,700, against $39,048 in expenses. The school awards about $5,726 in athletic aid per athlete.
D'Youville University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Buffalo, NY, D'Youville University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $27,316 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $26,959 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,393 per athlete.
Roberts Wesleyan University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Rochester, NY, Roberts Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,401 per participant, with expenses of about $11,024 per participant. Athletic aid averages $3,925 per athlete.
Mercy University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Mercy University is a private not-for-profit school based in Dobbs Ferry, NY. The program generates about $17,274 in revenue per athlete, against $17,274 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,094 per athlete.
Dominican University New York ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Orangeburg, NY, Dominican University New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,833 per participant, compared with $13,833 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $4,678 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.