by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 9 colleges 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Union University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Jackson, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $58,752, against $55,203 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,895.
Lee University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cleveland, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,763, compared with $42,763 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,272 per athlete.
Lincoln Memorial University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Located in Harrogate, TN, Lincoln Memorial University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $43,866 per participant, with expenses of about $43,811 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,449 per athlete.
Carson-Newman University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Based in Jefferson City, TN, Carson-Newman University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $52,864 in revenue per athlete, compared with $49,665 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $10,904.
Christian Brothers University ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Based in Memphis, TN, Christian Brothers University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $31,648 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $33,572 per participant. The school awards about $3,833 in athletic aid per athlete.
Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #6 spot this year. Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashville, TN. Team revenue averages $30,705 per participant, with expenses of about $30,209 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,766.
King University did well this year, earning the #7 position. King University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, TN. The program generates about $27,488 in revenue per athlete, compared with $29,835 spent per athlete. The school awards about $7,932 in athletic aid per athlete.
Tusculum University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Tusculum University is a private not-for-profit school based in Greeneville, TN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,068, compared with $23,074 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,457 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lane College ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Jackson, TN, Lane College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,820 in revenue per athlete, against $20,340 in expenses. The school awards about $3,306 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.