by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 20 schools 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Case Western Reserve University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cleveland, OH. Team revenue averages $14,573 per participant, compared with $14,573 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Denison University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Granville, OH, Denison University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $12,474 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,474 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Oberlin College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Oberlin, OH, Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,530 in revenue per athlete, against $14,530 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
John Carroll University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in University Heights, OH, John Carroll University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $14,642 per participant, against $14,642 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Kenyon College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit school based in Gambier, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,316, compared with $9,316 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
The College of Wooster ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). The College of Wooster is a private not-for-profit school based in Wooster, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,177, against $12,106 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ohio Northern University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Ada, OH, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,038 per participant, compared with $11,038 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Franciscan University of Steubenville placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Steubenville, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,043, against $4,517 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Capital University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Columbus, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,552, compared with $13,552 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Baldwin Wallace University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Berea, OH, Baldwin Wallace University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,963 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,963 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Otterbein University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Westerville, OH, Otterbein University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,667 per participant, against $9,117 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Mount Union did well this year, earning the #12 position. University of Mount Union is a private not-for-profit school based in Alliance, OH. Team revenue averages $10,271 per participant, compared with $10,271 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wittenberg University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Located in Springfield, OH, Wittenberg University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $14,442 per participant, against $14,442 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Muskingum University landed the #14 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Concord, OH. Team revenue averages $14,068 per participant, compared with $14,068 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ohio Wesleyan University placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Ohio Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Delaware, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,916, compared with $8,916 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Mount St. Joseph University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Mount St. Joseph University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cincinnati, OH. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,529, compared with $11,529 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Marietta College landed the #17 spot this year. Located in Marietta, OH, Marietta College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,714 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,454 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Heidelberg University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Tiffin, OH. The program generates about $12,136 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,136 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hiram College landed the #19 spot this year. Based in Hiram, OH, Hiram College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,883 per participant, with expenses of about $6,883 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bluffton University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Located in Bluffton, OH, Bluffton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,231, compared with $4,986 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 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.