by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. Our ranking highlights 47 schools 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Carnegie Mellon 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 Pittsburgh, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,738, compared with $18,921 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Swarthmore College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Swarthmore, PA, Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,315 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,160 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Haverford College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Haverford, PA, Haverford College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $16,792, with expenses of about $16,270 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Franklin and Marshall College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lancaster, PA. Team revenue averages $16,274 per participant, compared with $15,038 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $53 per athlete.
University of Scranton landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Scranton, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,034, with expenses of about $18,034 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Gettysburg College ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Gettysburg, PA, Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,433 in revenue per athlete, against $13,433 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Muhlenberg College ranked #7 on our 2026 list 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, with expenses of about $14,330 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Dickinson College landed the #8 spot this year. Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Carlisle, PA. The program generates about $10,975 in revenue per athlete, compared with $11,684 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Messiah University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Located in Mechanicsburg, PA, Messiah University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,205 per participant, against $10,068 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Susquehanna University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Selinsgrove, PA, Susquehanna University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,110 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,110 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Moravian University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Bethlehem, PA. Team revenue averages $16,353 per participant, with expenses of about $8,963 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Elizabethtown College placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Elizabethtown College is a private not-for-profit school based in Elizabethtown, PA. The program generates about $9,073 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,073 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Allegheny College landed the #13 spot this year. Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit school based in Meadville, PA. The program generates about $17,230 in revenue per athlete, against $17,230 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lebanon Valley College landed the #14 spot this year. Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annville, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,162, compared with $10,376 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Ursinus College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Collegeville, PA, Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,622 in revenue per athlete, against $9,622 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Saint Vincent College did well this year, earning the #16 position. Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit school based in Latrobe, PA. The program generates about $11,672 in revenue per athlete, against $11,672 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
DeSales University ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Center Valley, PA, DeSales University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,202 per participant, against $12,549 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Widener University placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Chester, PA. Team revenue averages $12,873 per participant, compared with $12,263 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lancaster Bible College came in at #19 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. Team revenue averages $10,027 per participant, against $7,864 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Marywood University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Scranton, PA. The program generates about $7,707 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,913 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Juniata College placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Juniata College is a private not-for-profit school based in Huntingdon, PA. The program generates about $8,341 in revenue per athlete, against $8,208 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wilkes University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Wilkes University is a private not-for-profit school based in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The program generates about $10,888 in revenue per athlete, against $10,888 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Misericordia University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Dallas, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,052, compared with $6,908 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lycoming College placed #24 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Williamsport, PA. Team revenue averages $13,302 per participant, compared with $12,425 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Arcadia University ranked #25 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Glenside, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,025, with expenses of about $10,025 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*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.