by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 84 colleges for Women’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
No school ranked higher than University of California-Los Angeles this year for Women's Basketball. Based in Los Angeles, CA, University of California-Los Angeles is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $334,154 per participant, against $334,154 in expenses. The school awards about $24,306 in athletic aid per athlete.
Stanford University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit school based in Stanford, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 991, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 100%. Team revenue averages $328,629 per participant, against $328,629 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $42,012.
University of San Francisco came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Located in San Francisco, CA, University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. University of San Francisco records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. The program generates about $269,032 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $269,032 per participant. The school awards about $31,788 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pepperdine University earned the #4 place for student athletes. Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit school based in Malibu, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 74%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $177,408, compared with $177,408 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $27,861.
University of California-Berkeley ranked #5 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Berkeley, CA, University of California-Berkeley is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 90%. Its federal graduation rate is 73%. Team revenue averages $325,762 per participant, against $325,762 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $21,267 per athlete.
Santa Clara University did well this year, earning the #6 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Santa Clara, CA. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $210,378 per participant, compared with $210,378 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
Loyola Marymount University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Los Angeles, CA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 82%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $294,581, against $294,581 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $40,056.
Gonzaga University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Spokane, WA, Gonzaga University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, alongside a GSR of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 82%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $365,684, with expenses of about $356,223 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,963.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus landed the #9 spot this year. Based in Seattle, WA, University of Washington-Seattle Campus is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 83% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $81,312 per participant, against $313,814 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $26,539 per athlete.
University of Southern California did well this year, earning the #10 position. Located in Los Angeles, CA, University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Southern California records an NCAA APR of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $320,344, with expenses of about $320,344 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $40,006.
California Institute of Technology placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Pasadena, CA, California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $15,530, compared with $15,530 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Chapman University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit school based in Orange, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $18,935, against $18,935 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in San Diego, CA. Team revenue averages $57,655 per participant, compared with $57,655 spent per athlete. The school awards about $14,927 in athletic aid per athlete.
Occidental College ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Occidental College is a private not-for-profit school based in Los Angeles, CA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,353, against $19,279 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Portland landed the #15 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Portland, OR. University of Portland records an NCAA APR of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $138,445 in revenue per athlete, compared with $138,445 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,618.
Whitman College placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Walla Walla, WA, Whitman College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $29,365 in revenue per athlete, against $27,394 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of the Pacific came in at #17 in this year's ranking. University of the Pacific is a private not-for-profit school based in Stockton, CA. University of the Pacific records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 93%. About 56% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $159,902 per participant, with expenses of about $159,902 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,596.
San Diego State University did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in San Diego, CA, San Diego State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. The program generates about $78,529 in revenue per athlete, compared with $117,144 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,450 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of San Diego placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in San Diego, CA. University of San Diego records an NCAA APR of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 77%. The program generates about $178,759 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $178,759 per participant. The school awards about $19,537 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Santa Cruz ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Santa Cruz, CA, University of California-Santa Cruz is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $19,016, compared with $19,016 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of California-Santa Barbara did well this year, earning the #21 position. Based in Santa Barbara, CA, University of California-Santa Barbara is a public institution. University of California-Santa Barbara records an NCAA APR of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 58%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $154,206, compared with $154,206 spent per athlete. The school awards about $11,355 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oregon State University came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Based in Corvallis, OR, Oregon State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 90%. The federal graduation rate stands at 67%. Team revenue averages $185,551 per participant, with expenses of about $185,551 per participant. Athletic aid averages $19,022 per athlete.
University of Oregon placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Eugene, OR, University of Oregon is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. The program generates about $63,108 in revenue per athlete, against $231,667 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $22,739 per athlete.
University of California-Davis ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Davis, CA, University of California-Davis is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 100% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $100,377 per participant, with expenses of about $100,377 per participant. The school awards about $14,267 in athletic aid per athlete.
Dominican University of California landed the #25 spot this year. Located in San Rafael, CA, Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $42,206 per participant, against $42,206 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,270.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
See our data sources and methodologies.
