by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 98 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 weighs 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:
Leading the list is Johns Hopkins University, our #1 college for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $20,271 in revenue per athlete, compared with $20,271 spent per athlete. The school awards about $2,612 in athletic aid per athlete.
New York University earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,386, with expenses of about $36,897 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Carnegie Mellon University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit school based in Pittsburgh, PA. The program generates about $19,738 in revenue per athlete, compared with $18,921 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hamilton College landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit school based in Clinton, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,383, against $21,383 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stevens Institute of Technology earned the #5 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hoboken, NJ. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,441, compared with $21,441 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Swarthmore College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Swarthmore, PA, Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,315 per participant, compared with $14,160 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Haverford College did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Haverford, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,792, compared with $16,270 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Rochester ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,762, compared with $18,560 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Franklin and Marshall College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Lancaster, PA, Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,274 per participant, against $15,038 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $53 per athlete.
Union College placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Schenectady, NY, Union College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $18,927 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,432 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $2,499 per athlete.
University of Scranton landed the #11 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Scranton, PA. The program generates about $18,034 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $18,034 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
The College of New Jersey ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). The College of New Jersey is a public school based in Ewing, NJ. The program generates about $13,021 in revenue per athlete, against $13,021 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Vassar College placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Vassar College is a private not-for-profit school based in Poughkeepsie, NY. Team revenue averages $13,311 per participant, compared with $12,540 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Troy, NY. The program generates about $13,946 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,740 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,263 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gettysburg College ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Gettysburg, PA, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,433 per participant, with expenses of about $13,433 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Muhlenberg College placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Allentown, PA, Muhlenberg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $14,593 per participant, against $14,330 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Dickinson College did well this year, earning the #17 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Carlisle, PA. Team revenue averages $10,975 per participant, compared with $11,684 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Nazareth University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Rochester, NY, Nazareth University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,680 in revenue per athlete, against $14,916 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Messiah University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Mechanicsburg, PA, Messiah University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,205 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,068 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Yeshiva University ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Yeshiva University is a private not-for-profit school based in New York, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,065, compared with $9,065 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Susquehanna University placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Selinsgrove, PA, Susquehanna University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $14,110 per participant, with expenses of about $14,110 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rochester Institute of Technology ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Rochester, NY, Rochester Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,243, against $14,378 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,070.
Stockton University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Stockton University is a public school based in Galloway, NJ. The program generates about $14,891 in revenue per athlete, against $14,891 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Ithaca College landed the #24 spot this year. Located in Ithaca, NY, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,088, compared with $13,088 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Skidmore College placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Saratoga Springs, NY. The program generates about $9,146 in revenue per athlete, against $9,146 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.