by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 42 colleges for Women’s Basketball (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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.
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Emory University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Atlanta, GA, Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $48,876 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $28,223 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Washington and Lee University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lexington, VA. Team revenue averages $16,928 per participant, compared with $16,883 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Rhodes College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Memphis, TN, Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $20,808 per participant, against $20,808 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christopher Newport University landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Newport News, VA, Christopher Newport University is a public institution. The program generates about $25,335 in revenue per athlete, against $25,335 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Centre College is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III), at #5. Centre College is a private not-for-profit school based in Danville, KY. The program generates about $14,108 in revenue per athlete, compared with $14,108 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Berry College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Based in Mount Berry, GA, Berry College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $18,621 in revenue per athlete, against $17,877 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Ashland, VA. The program generates about $16,497 in revenue per athlete, against $15,788 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Mary Washington ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Based in Fredericksburg, VA, University of Mary Washington is a public institution. The program generates about $20,722 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $21,164 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Covenant College came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Lookout Mountain, GA, Covenant College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $11,622 per participant, with expenses of about $11,028 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Shenandoah University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Winchester, VA, Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,839 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,839 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Berea College ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Berea, KY, Berea College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $9,474 per participant, against $18,796 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Transylvania University landed the #12 spot this year. Transylvania University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lexington, KY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,017, compared with $10,017 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Roanoke College placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Salem, VA, Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,629 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,629 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hendrix College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Conway, AR, Hendrix College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,577 in revenue per athlete, against $8,577 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Mary Baldwin University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Staunton, VA, Mary Baldwin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,924 per participant, compared with $13,924 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Oglethorpe University did well this year, earning the #16 position. Located in Atlanta, GA, Oglethorpe University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,381 in revenue per athlete, against $13,381 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Lynchburg came in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in Lynchburg, VA, University of Lynchburg is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,895, against $8,895 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Regent University came in at #18 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Virginia Beach, VA. Team revenue averages $12,056 per participant, compared with $12,056 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Asbury University landed the #19 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wilmore, KY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,219, with expenses of about $7,219 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte is a private not-for-profit school based in Charlotte, NC. The program generates about $12,667 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $12,667 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Virginia Wesleyan University landed the #21 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Virginia Beach, VA. Team revenue averages $14,310 per participant, against $14,310 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Eastern Mennonite University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Harrisonburg, VA, Eastern Mennonite University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,606 per participant, with expenses of about $10,606 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Guilford College placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Greensboro, NC. Team revenue averages $14,654 per participant, with expenses of about $12,646 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Spalding University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Louisville, KY. Team revenue averages $7,543 per participant, against $7,543 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Piedmont University landed the #25 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Demorest, GA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,126, compared with $14,126 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.