by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 33 schools for Women’s Basketball (Division II) in Plains States by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual scores each program on 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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No school ranked higher than Maryville University of Saint Louis this year for Women's Basketball (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Louis, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $52,696, against $50,588 in expenses. The school awards about $6,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Drury University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II) in Plains States. Based in Springfield, MO, Drury University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $57,846 per participant, compared with $57,846 spent per athlete. The school awards about $8,859 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rockhurst University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Kansas City, MO, Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $31,920 per participant, with expenses of about $31,920 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,130 per athlete.
University of Mary earned the #4 place for student athletes. Located in Bismarck, ND, University of Mary is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $45,055, against $45,055 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,321 per athlete.
Missouri University of Science and Technology ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II) in Plains States. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public school based in Rolla, MO. The program generates about $40,708 in revenue per athlete, compared with $40,708 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,772 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Duluth landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Duluth, MN. The program generates about $44,413 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $44,413 per participant. The school awards about $5,671 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northwest Missouri State University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Maryville, MO. Team revenue averages $48,701 per participant, compared with $48,701 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,287.
Pittsburg State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Pittsburg, KS, Pittsburg State University is a public institution. The program generates about $65,664 in revenue per athlete, compared with $65,664 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,160 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Missouri-St Louis came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Saint Louis, MO, University of Missouri-St Louis is a public institution. Team revenue averages $44,386 per participant, against $43,932 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,395 per athlete.
University of Nebraska at Kearney came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Based in Kearney, NE, University of Nebraska at Kearney is a public institution. The program generates about $46,725 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $45,831 per participant. The school awards about $4,590 in athletic aid per athlete.
William Jewell College did well this year, earning the #11 position. Based in Liberty, MO, William Jewell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $26,599 per participant, with expenses of about $28,791 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,219 per athlete.
Truman State University landed the #12 spot this year. Located in Kirksville, MO, Truman State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,836, compared with $36,836 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,206 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Sioux Falls landed the #13 spot this year. Located in Sioux Falls, SD, University of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,650, compared with $35,650 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,811 in athletic aid per athlete.
Washburn University came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Topeka, KS. Team revenue averages $51,368 per participant, with expenses of about $51,368 per participant. The school awards about $5,727 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emporia State University placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II) in Plains States. This public school is set in Emporia, KS. The program generates about $51,691 in revenue per athlete, against $51,665 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,709.
Newman University did well this year, earning the #16 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wichita, KS. Team revenue averages $35,000 per participant, compared with $29,746 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,192 in athletic aid per athlete.
Winona State University placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II) in Plains States. This public school is set in Winona, MN. The program generates about $31,919 in revenue per athlete, compared with $31,919 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,907 per athlete.
Minnesota State University Moorhead did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in Moorhead, MN, Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution. Team revenue averages $48,880 per participant, with expenses of about $45,253 per participant. The school awards about $3,722 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Central Missouri ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II) in Plains States. Located in Warrensburg, MO, University of Central Missouri is a public institution. The program generates about $67,007 in revenue per athlete, compared with $67,007 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,385 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Crookston came in at #20 in this year's ranking. University of Minnesota-Crookston is a public school based in Crookston, MN. The program generates about $43,279 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $43,279 per participant. The school awards about $7,101 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bemidji State University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Based in Bemidji, MN, Bemidji State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $31,070 per participant, against $31,070 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,153.
Southwest Baptist University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division II) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bolivar, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,869, against $35,869 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,015 per athlete.
Missouri Western State University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Based in Saint Joseph, MO, Missouri Western State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $57,440, compared with $54,461 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,151.
Northern State University did well this year, earning the #24 position. This public school is set in Aberdeen, SD. The program generates about $45,232 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $46,420 per participant. The school awards about $3,884 in athletic aid per athlete.
Fort Hays State University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Hays, KS. The program generates about $47,297 in revenue per athlete, compared with $40,582 spent per athlete. The school awards about $5,057 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
