by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 13 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.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Carleton College earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball (Division III). Carleton College is a private not-for-profit school based in Northfield, MN. The program generates about $11,227 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,917 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Macalester College earned the #2 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $16,775 in revenue per athlete, against $16,171 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Olaf College is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III), at #3. Located in Northfield, MN, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $13,962 per participant, compared with $13,962 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Gustavus Adolphus College is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball (Division III), at #4. Based in Saint Peter, MN, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,860 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,860 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Winona, MN. Team revenue averages $9,571 per participant, with expenses of about $9,571 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Martin Luther College landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in New Ulm, MN. The program generates about $6,347 in revenue per athlete, compared with $6,347 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St Catherine University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. Team revenue averages $8,298 per participant, against $8,298 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Northwestern-St Paul ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). Located in Saint Paul, MN, University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,648 per participant, compared with $5,648 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Minnesota-Morris did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Morris, MN, University of Minnesota-Morris is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,500, against $8,585 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
North Central University did well this year, earning the #10 position. North Central University is a private not-for-profit school based in Minneapolis, MN. Team revenue averages $8,011 per participant, against $8,011 in expenses. The school awards about $49 in athletic aid per athlete.
Augsburg University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Minneapolis, MN. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,779, with expenses of about $8,779 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hamline University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Saint Paul, MN. The program generates about $8,080 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,080 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bethany Lutheran College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mankato, MN. The program generates about $6,129 in revenue per athlete, compared with $5,975 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.