by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 25 schools for Women’s Basketball (Division III) in Plains States 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Washington University in St Louis to be the best college for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States in the The Plains States Region. Located in St. Louis, MO, Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $30,848, against $29,226 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Carleton College is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States, at #2. Based in Northfield, MN, Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,227 in revenue per athlete, compared with $9,917 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Macalester College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Saint Paul, MN, Macalester College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $16,775 per participant, against $16,171 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
St Olaf College is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States, at #4. Located in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,962 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $13,962 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Grinnell College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Grinnell, IA, Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,923 per participant, compared with $8,923 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Peter, MN. The program generates about $13,860 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,860 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Cornell College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Mount Vernon, IA, Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $22,645 per participant, compared with $18,372 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Winona, MN. The program generates about $9,571 in revenue per athlete, against $9,571 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Luther College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Decorah, IA, Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,298 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,060 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Wartburg College ranked #10 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit school based in Waverly, IA. The program generates about $8,979 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,979 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Martin Luther College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Ulm, MN. The program generates about $6,347 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $6,347 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Loras College did well this year, earning the #12 position. Based in Dubuque, IA, Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $7,200 per participant, with expenses of about $7,200 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Nebraska Wesleyan University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lincoln, NE. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,621, with expenses of about $6,354 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Simpson College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Indianola, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,303, compared with $8,499 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Webster University ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Louis, MO. The program generates about $10,141 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,281 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Catherine University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. St Catherine University is a private not-for-profit school based in Saint Paul, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,298, compared with $8,298 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Northwestern-St Paul ranked #17 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,648, against $5,648 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Morris placed #18 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. This public school is set in Morris, MN. The program generates about $8,500 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,585 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Central University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Minneapolis, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,011, with expenses of about $8,011 per participant. Athletic aid averages $49 per athlete.
Augsburg University placed #20 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit school based in Minneapolis, MN. The program generates about $8,779 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,779 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Buena Vista University ranked #21 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,848, with expenses of about $8,537 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hamline University placed #22 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. Based in Saint Paul, MN, Hamline University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,080 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,080 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Coe College landed the #23 spot this year. Coe College is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedar Rapids, IA. Team revenue averages $6,833 per participant, compared with $6,833 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Dubuque ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III) in Plains States. This private not-for-profit school is set in Dubuque, IA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,618, compared with $7,752 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College landed the #25 spot this year. Located in Mankato, MN, Bethany Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,129 per participant, with expenses of about $5,975 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.