by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 16 schools for Women’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Catawba College to be the best college for Women's Basketball (Division II) in North Carolina. Catawba College is a private not-for-profit school based in Salisbury, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,067, compared with $35,864 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,164 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lenoir-Rhyne University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division II). Lenoir-Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit school based in Hickory, NC. Team revenue averages $28,191 per participant, against $28,191 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,094 per athlete.
Wingate University earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wingate, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,742, with expenses of about $40,352 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,748.
Winston-Salem State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Winston-Salem, NC, Winston-Salem State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $42,887 per participant, with expenses of about $42,887 per participant. The school awards about $6,441 in athletic aid per athlete.
Barton College landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Wilson, NC, Barton College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $19,900 in revenue per athlete, against $19,900 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,654.
University of Mount Olive landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Mount Olive, NC, University of Mount Olive is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,147, compared with $19,879 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,775.
Lees-McRae College did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Banner Elk, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,226, compared with $19,226 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,547 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elizabeth City State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Elizabeth City, NC, Elizabeth City State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,209, with expenses of about $19,209 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,147.
Johnson C Smith University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Charlotte, NC, Johnson C Smith University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $34,429 per participant, against $34,429 in expenses. The school awards about $6,550 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fayetteville State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Fayetteville, NC, Fayetteville State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $33,979, compared with $33,979 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,674 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mars Hill University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Mars Hill University is a private not-for-profit school based in Mars Hill, NC. The program generates about $25,706 in revenue per athlete, against $25,706 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,311 per athlete.
Shaw University landed the #12 spot this year. Based in Raleigh, NC, Shaw University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $36,945 in revenue per athlete, against $36,945 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,825.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Pembroke, NC, University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a public institution. The program generates about $18,248 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $17,580 per participant. The school awards about $3,165 in athletic aid per athlete.
Belmont Abbey College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Belmont, NC, Belmont Abbey College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,117 per participant, against $16,117 in expenses. The school awards about $2,908 in athletic aid per athlete.
Chowan University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Murfreesboro, NC, Chowan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $24,939 in revenue per athlete, compared with $24,939 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,571 per athlete.
Livingstone College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salisbury, NC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $25,667, compared with $25,667 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,211 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.