by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 56 programs 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Bowdoin College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Brunswick, ME, Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,578, with expenses of about $31,282 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Amherst College is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III), at #2. Based in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $28,227 in revenue per athlete, compared with $28,227 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Williams College earned the #3 place for student athletes. Williams College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamstown, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,781, compared with $18,781 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Tufts University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III), at #4. This private not-for-profit school is set in Medford, MA. Team revenue averages $19,362 per participant, against $17,790 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Middlebury College earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Middlebury, VT, Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $20,607 per participant, against $20,607 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wellesley College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Wellesley, MA, Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $21,828, against $21,828 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bates College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Lewiston, ME, Bates College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $24,772 in revenue per athlete, against $23,122 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Colby College landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waterville, ME. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,103, compared with $22,103 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Brandeis University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Waltham, MA, Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $24,073 in revenue per athlete, compared with $24,073 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Cambridge, MA. Team revenue averages $10,656 per participant, with expenses of about $10,656 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Babson College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Babson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wellesley, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,653, compared with $15,653 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Worcester, MA, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $18,182 per participant, against $18,182 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Emerson College did well this year, earning the #13 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Team revenue averages $16,459 per participant, against $16,450 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Connecticut College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in New London, CT, Connecticut College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,782 per participant, with expenses of about $13,782 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wentworth Institute of Technology landed the #15 spot this year. Located in Boston, MA, Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $14,325 per participant, against $12,933 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Springfield College ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Springfield, MA, Springfield College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $19,162 in revenue per athlete, compared with $19,162 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western New England University placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Springfield, MA. Team revenue averages $17,147 per participant, with expenses of about $14,069 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Wheaton College (Massachusetts) is a private not-for-profit school based in Norton, MA. Team revenue averages $13,302 per participant, with expenses of about $13,302 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Salve Regina University placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Newport, RI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,887, compared with $10,110 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Endicott College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Located in Beverly, MA, Endicott College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,566 in revenue per athlete, against $9,567 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gordon College ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Wenham, MA, Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,279 in revenue per athlete, against $12,730 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Norwich University placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Northfield, VT. Team revenue averages $14,525 per participant, against $14,525 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Worcester State University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Worcester, MA, Worcester State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,155, with expenses of about $19,910 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Roger Williams University did well this year, earning the #24 position. Roger Williams University is a private not-for-profit school based in Bristol, RI. Team revenue averages $8,034 per participant, compared with $8,062 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Eastern Connecticut State University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Based in Willimantic, CT, Eastern Connecticut State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $17,386, compared with $17,386 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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.