by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 30 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Amherst College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). Amherst College is a private not-for-profit school based in Amherst, MA. The program generates about $28,227 in revenue per athlete, against $28,227 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Williams College earned the #2 place for student athletes. Located in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $18,781 per participant, with expenses of about $18,781 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Tufts University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Medford, MA, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,362, against $17,790 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Wellesley College came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located 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.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. Team revenue averages $10,656 per participant, with expenses of about $10,656 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Brandeis University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Waltham, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $24,073, with expenses of about $24,073 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Worcester, MA. The program generates about $18,182 in revenue per athlete, compared with $18,182 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Babson College landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wellesley, MA. Team revenue averages $15,653 per participant, compared with $15,653 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Emerson College landed the #9 spot this year. Emerson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. The program generates about $16,459 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,450 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wentworth Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #10 position. Wentworth Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,325, compared with $12,933 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Springfield College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Springfield, MA, Springfield College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,162, with expenses of about $19,162 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) landed the #12 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Norton, MA. Team revenue averages $13,302 per participant, compared with $13,302 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Western New England University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Western New England University is a private not-for-profit school based in Springfield, MA. The program generates about $17,147 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $14,069 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Endicott College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Endicott College is a private not-for-profit school based in Beverly, MA. The program generates about $9,566 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,567 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Worcester State University landed the #15 spot this year. Located in Worcester, MA, Worcester State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,155, compared with $19,910 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Gordon College placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Wenham, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,279, compared with $12,730 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Nichols College landed the #17 spot this year. Located in Dudley, MA, Nichols College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,108 per participant, with expenses of about $8,331 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Westfield State University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Westfield, MA. The program generates about $8,315 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,942 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Suffolk University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Boston, MA, Suffolk University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $5,412 in revenue per athlete, against $5,412 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bridgewater State University landed the #20 spot this year. Located in Bridgewater, MA, Bridgewater State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $8,698 per participant, with expenses of about $8,698 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lesley University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Lesley University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,662, compared with $2,662 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Massachusetts-Boston did well this year, earning the #22 position. Located in Boston, MA, University of Massachusetts-Boston is a public institution. Team revenue averages $12,943 per participant, against $11,984 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth is a public school based in North Dartmouth, MA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,612, with expenses of about $12,544 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Fitchburg State University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Based in Fitchburg, MA, Fitchburg State University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,759, against $5,759 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Salem State University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Based in Salem, MA, Salem State University is a public institution. The program generates about $3,235 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $3,235 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 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. 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.