by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 12 colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division II) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual weighs 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.
Not quite what you need? Jump to the options below.
Explore the leading programs below:
Rockhurst University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division II). Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit school based in Kansas City, MO. Team revenue averages $31,920 per participant, against $31,920 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,130 per athlete.
Maryville University of Saint Louis earned the #2 place for student athletes. Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Louis, MO. Team revenue averages $52,696 per participant, with expenses of about $50,588 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,338 per athlete.
Drury University landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball (Division II). This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $57,846, against $57,846 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $8,859 per athlete.
Missouri University of Science and Technology is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division II), at #4. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public school based in Rolla, MO. Team revenue averages $40,708 per participant, compared with $40,708 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,772 per athlete.
Truman State University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division II). This public school is set in Kirksville, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $36,836, compared with $36,836 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,206.
Northwest Missouri State University landed the #6 spot this year. This public school is set in Maryville, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,701, against $48,701 in expenses. The school awards about $6,287 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Missouri-St Louis landed the #7 spot this year. Located 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. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,395.
William Jewell College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Based in Liberty, MO, William Jewell College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $26,599 in revenue per athlete, against $28,791 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,219 per athlete.
Missouri Western State University landed the #9 spot this year. Located in Saint Joseph, MO, Missouri Western State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $57,440, against $54,461 in expenses. The school awards about $7,151 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Central Missouri placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Located in Warrensburg, MO, University of Central Missouri is a public institution. The program generates about $67,007 in revenue per athlete, against $67,007 in expenses. The school awards about $5,385 in athletic aid per athlete.
Southwest Baptist University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division II). Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bolivar, MO. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $35,869, with expenses of about $35,869 per participant. Athletic aid averages $7,015 per athlete.
Missouri Southern State University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Joplin, MO. The program generates about $34,238 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $33,134 per participant. The school awards about $5,261 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
