by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 7 colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division III) 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Use the shortcuts below.
Learn more about these schools below:
DePauw University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Greencastle, IN, DePauw University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,973, with expenses of about $17,973 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Terre Haute, IN, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,059 per participant, against $16,059 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Earlham College landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Richmond, IN, Earlham College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,753 per participant, against $16,753 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Trine University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Angola, IN. The program generates about $13,137 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,744 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hanover College ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Hanover, IN, Hanover College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,265 in revenue per athlete, against $16,265 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Franklin College landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Franklin, IN. The program generates about $10,389 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,244 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Manchester University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in North Manchester, IN, Manchester University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,381 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,836 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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.