by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 19 colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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.
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Learn more about these schools below:
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Eau Claire, WI, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public institution. Team revenue averages $14,872 per participant, against $17,058 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a public school based in La Crosse, WI. The program generates about $14,220 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $21,718 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lawrence University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit school based in Appleton, WI. Team revenue averages $11,251 per participant, against $11,251 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Milwaukee School of Engineering landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Milwaukee, WI, Milwaukee School of Engineering is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,788 per participant, with expenses of about $9,788 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This public school is set in Whitewater, WI. The program generates about $12,988 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,781 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Platteville, WI, University of Wisconsin-Platteville is a public institution. The program generates about $14,052 in revenue per athlete, against $13,465 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Concordia University-Wisconsin landed the #7 spot this year. Concordia University-Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit school based in Mequon, WI. Team revenue averages $8,072 per participant, compared with $7,681 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wisconsin Lutheran College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Wisconsin Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit school based in Milwaukee, WI. Team revenue averages $11,868 per participant, against $11,615 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Oshkosh, WI, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,473, compared with $15,954 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Beloit College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Beloit, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,051, with expenses of about $6,051 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Maranatha Baptist University landed the #11 spot this year. Maranatha Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school based in Watertown, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,259, with expenses of about $2,091 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This public school is set in Stevens Point, WI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,227, compared with $14,224 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Wisconsin-Stout ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Menomonie, WI, University of Wisconsin-Stout is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,075, with expenses of about $20,075 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Carthage College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Kenosha, WI, Carthage College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,137, compared with $7,270 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-River Falls placed #15 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in River Falls, WI, University of Wisconsin-River Falls is a public institution. The program generates about $7,215 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $7,215 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lakeland University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Lakeland University is a private not-for-profit school based in Plymouth, WI. The program generates about $14,233 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,233 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $41 per athlete.
Ripon College placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Ripon, WI. The program generates about $7,542 in revenue per athlete, against $7,333 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Wisconsin-Superior did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in Superior, WI, University of Wisconsin-Superior is a public institution. Team revenue averages $8,325 per participant, compared with $8,325 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Alverno College came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Located in Milwaukee, WI, Alverno College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,623 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,715 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. Rankings consider 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.