by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 5 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Harding University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Searcy, AR, Harding University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $41,156 per participant, with expenses of about $42,327 per participant. The school awards about $9,216 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Arkadelphia, AR, Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,563, against $35,846 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,935.
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Fort Smith, AR, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,751, compared with $42,751 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,102 in athletic aid per athlete.
Arkansas Tech University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Russellville, AR, Arkansas Tech University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $30,394 per participant, with expenses of about $30,394 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,208.
Henderson State University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Arkadelphia, AR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $32,216, compared with $32,216 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,143 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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.