by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 17 colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Our analysis found University of Chicago to be the best college for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Illinois. This private not-for-profit school is set in Chicago, IL. Team revenue averages $23,177 per participant, with expenses of about $23,177 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Bloomington, IL, Illinois Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,414 in revenue per athlete, against $16,414 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
North Central College earned the #3 place for student athletes. North Central College is a private not-for-profit school based in Naperville, IL. The program generates about $10,435 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,149 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Chicago, IL, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,986 per participant, against $7,986 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Knox College is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III), at #5. Located in Galesburg, IL, Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,795, with expenses of about $13,187 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Forest College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,141 in revenue per athlete, against $8,141 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
North Park University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Chicago, IL. The program generates about $14,170 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,170 per participant. The school awards about $32 in athletic aid per athlete.
Elmhurst University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Elmhurst, IL, Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,799, with expenses of about $9,718 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Millikin University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Decatur, IL. The program generates about $13,764 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,764 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Illinois College landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Jacksonville, IL, Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,435 per participant, with expenses of about $10,435 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Concordia University-Chicago ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in River Forest, IL. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,948, with expenses of about $12,721 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Aurora University landed the #12 spot this year. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit school based in Aurora, IL. Team revenue averages $8,633 per participant, compared with $8,633 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Blackburn College ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Blackburn College is a private not-for-profit school based in Carlinville, IL. The program generates about $12,392 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,392 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rockford University did well this year, earning the #14 position. Located in Rockford, IL, Rockford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,889, with expenses of about $9,889 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Greenville University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Greenville, IL. The program generates about $4,176 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,214 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Eureka College did well this year, earning the #16 position. Eureka College is a private not-for-profit school based in Eureka, IL. Team revenue averages $5,583 per participant, with expenses of about $5,583 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.