by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 16 colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division III) 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:
Whitman College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Walla Walla, WA. Team revenue averages $29,365 per participant, against $27,394 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Occidental College landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Los Angeles, CA, Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,353 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $19,279 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
California Institute of Technology is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III), at #3. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Pasadena, CA. Team revenue averages $15,530 per participant, with expenses of about $15,530 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Chapman University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III), at #4. Based in Orange, CA, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $18,935 per participant, compared with $18,935 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of California-Santa Cruz earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Santa Cruz, CA, University of California-Santa Cruz is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,016, against $19,016 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Willamette University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salem, OR. The program generates about $20,345 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $20,345 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
California Lutheran University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Based in Thousand Oaks, CA, California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,013 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,013 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
George Fox University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Newberg, OR, George Fox University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,479, with expenses of about $19,372 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lewis & Clark College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Portland, OR. Team revenue averages $15,622 per participant, against $15,622 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Whitworth University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Whitworth University is a private not-for-profit school based in Spokane, WA. The program generates about $22,556 in revenue per athlete, against $22,556 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Redlands did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Redlands, CA, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,498 per participant, with expenses of about $16,746 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Based in Tacoma, WA, Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,084, with expenses of about $12,648 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Puget Sound placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Tacoma, WA, University of Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,637 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,637 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Linfield University landed the #14 spot this year. Linfield University is a private not-for-profit school based in McMinnville, OR. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,777, against $13,615 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of La Verne ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in La Verne, CA, University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,282 in revenue per athlete, against $11,700 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Whittier College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Whittier, CA. Team revenue averages $11,500 per participant, compared with $11,750 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 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
See our data sources and methodologies.