by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 11 schools 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Colorado School of Mines tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Golden, CO, Colorado School of Mines is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $54,518, with expenses of about $54,518 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,984.
Northwest Nazarene University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Northwest Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nampa, ID. Team revenue averages $53,660 per participant, with expenses of about $53,660 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,381.
University of Colorado Colorado Springs landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Colorado Springs, CO, University of Colorado Colorado Springs is a public institution. The program generates about $56,363 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $54,223 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,988.
Colorado Christian University landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lakewood, CO. The program generates about $33,083 in revenue per athlete, compared with $33,083 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,910.
Metropolitan State University of Denver landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Denver, CO, Metropolitan State University of Denver is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $65,775, against $65,762 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,924 per athlete.
Western Colorado University landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Gunnison, CO. The program generates about $38,826 in revenue per athlete, against $38,826 in expenses. The school awards about $3,480 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colorado State University Pueblo landed the #7 spot this year. Located in Pueblo, CO, Colorado State University Pueblo is a public institution. The program generates about $37,126 in revenue per athlete, compared with $37,126 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,320.
Fort Lewis College ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Durango, CO. Team revenue averages $26,717 per participant, compared with $26,717 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,356 per athlete.
Colorado Mesa University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Colorado Mesa University is a public school based in Grand Junction, CO. The program generates about $34,686 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $34,711 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,175.
Montana State University Billings landed the #10 spot this year. Based in Billings, MT, Montana State University Billings is a public institution. Team revenue averages $55,677 per participant, with expenses of about $55,225 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,887.
Adams State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Alamosa, CO, Adams State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $50,994, against $50,994 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $3,419 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.