by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 13 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:
No school ranked higher than North Greenville University this year for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Tigerville, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,597, against $35,468 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $15,158.
Lander University landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). Lander University is a public school based in Greenwood, SC. The program generates about $42,297 in revenue per athlete, compared with $36,789 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,383 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina Aiken landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Aiken, SC. Team revenue averages $40,525 per participant, against $40,349 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,318 per athlete.
Southern Wesleyan University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Central, SC, Southern Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,398 in revenue per athlete, compared with $20,398 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,609 per athlete.
Converse University landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Spartanburg, SC, Converse University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,596, against $23,185 in expenses. The school awards about $7,241 in athletic aid per athlete.
Francis Marion University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Florence, SC, Francis Marion University is a public institution. The program generates about $39,960 in revenue per athlete, compared with $39,960 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,654.
Claflin University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Orangeburg, SC, Claflin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $29,009 in revenue per athlete, against $29,009 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,337.
Newberry College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Newberry College is a private not-for-profit school based in Newberry, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,846, against $22,407 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,596 per athlete.
Erskine College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Due West, SC. Team revenue averages $13,177 per participant, compared with $13,177 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,924.
University of South Carolina Beaufort landed the #10 spot this year. University of South Carolina Beaufort is a public school based in Bluffton, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $33,777, compared with $33,868 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,478 per athlete.
Coker University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Hartsville, SC, Coker University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,158, with expenses of about $29,264 per participant. The school awards about $6,938 in athletic aid per athlete.
Benedict College placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Columbia, SC. Team revenue averages $10,970 per participant, with expenses of about $18,425 per participant. The school awards about $5,098 in athletic aid per athlete.
Allen University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Allen University is a private not-for-profit school based in Columbia, SC. Team revenue averages $13,036 per participant, with expenses of about $13,036 per participant. The school awards about $3,826 in athletic aid 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.