by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. We have ranked 31 programs for Women’s Basketball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than New York University this year for Women's Basketball (Division III). New York University is a private not-for-profit school based 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.
Hamilton College came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit school based in Clinton, NY. The program generates about $21,383 in revenue per athlete, against $21,383 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Union College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Union College is a private not-for-profit school based in Schenectady, NY. Team revenue averages $18,927 per participant, with expenses of about $14,432 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $2,499.
University of Rochester landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Rochester, NY, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,762 per participant, against $18,560 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Vassar College landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,311, against $12,540 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Troy, NY, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,946 per participant, with expenses of about $9,740 per participant. The school awards about $3,263 in athletic aid per athlete.
Yeshiva University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in New York, NY, Yeshiva University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,065 per participant, compared with $9,065 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Nazareth University did well this year, earning the #8 position. Located in Rochester, NY, Nazareth University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,680, with expenses of about $14,916 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rochester Institute of Technology ranked #9 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. The program generates about $15,243 in revenue per athlete, against $14,378 in expenses. The school awards about $3,070 in athletic aid per athlete.
Skidmore College came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Saratoga Springs, NY, Skidmore College is a private not-for-profit institution. 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.
Ithaca College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit school based in Ithaca, NY. Team revenue averages $13,088 per participant, with expenses of about $13,088 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St. John Fisher University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). St. John Fisher University is a private not-for-profit school based in Rochester, NY. Team revenue averages $10,407 per participant, against $9,580 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Clarkson University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit school based in Potsdam, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,202, with expenses of about $10,566 per participant. The school awards about $4,842 in athletic aid per athlete.
Bard College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,689, with expenses of about $13,689 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hobart William Smith Colleges ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Geneva, NY. The program generates about $14,131 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,131 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $50.
State University of New York at New Paltz placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). State University of New York at New Paltz is a public school based in New Paltz, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,765, with expenses of about $14,217 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Lawrence University landed the #17 spot this year. Located in Canton, NY, St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,742, against $7,742 in expenses. The school awards about $3,126 in athletic aid per athlete.
State University of New York at Cortland did well this year, earning the #18 position. This public school is set in Cortland, NY. Team revenue averages $11,431 per participant, with expenses of about $11,431 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Sarah Lawrence College ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Bronxville, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,970, against $6,970 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
State University of New York at Oswego landed the #20 spot this year. Based in Oswego, NY, State University of New York at Oswego is a public institution. The program generates about $10,295 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,295 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Russell Sage College came in at #21 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Troy, NY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $9,541, compared with $7,750 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Utica University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Utica, NY, Utica University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,821, compared with $11,312 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alfred University landed the #23 spot this year. Alfred University is a private not-for-profit school based in Alfred, NY. The program generates about $10,093 in revenue per athlete, against $9,920 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Houghton University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Houghton, NY, Houghton University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,480, against $7,480 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Hilbert College landed the #25 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hamburg, NY. Team revenue averages $18,009 per participant, compared with $12,981 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*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.