by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 7 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Hope College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Holland, MI, Hope College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,694 in revenue per athlete, against $12,138 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Calvin University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III), at #2. Based in Grand Rapids, MI, Calvin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,194 in revenue per athlete, against $11,139 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Kalamazoo College earned the #3 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Kalamazoo, MI. The program generates about $8,380 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,380 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Albion College ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Albion College is a private not-for-profit school based in Albion, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,383, compared with $13,908 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Alma College landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Alma, MI. Team revenue averages $8,888 per participant, compared with $8,888 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
The University of Olivet placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). The University of Olivet is a private not-for-profit school based in Olivet, MI. Team revenue averages $10,306 per participant, with expenses of about $10,306 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Adrian College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Adrian, MI. The program generates about $7,656 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,656 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.