by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 9 programs for Women’s Basketball 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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Learn more about these schools below:
University of Portland earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Based in Portland, OR, University of Portland is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Portland records an NCAA APR of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 86%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $138,445, against $138,445 in expenses. The school awards about $17,618 in athletic aid per athlete.
Willamette University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Located in Salem, OR, Willamette University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $20,345 per participant, compared with $20,345 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Oregon landed the #3 spot for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Eugene, OR. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 53%. The program generates about $63,108 in revenue per athlete, compared with $231,667 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,739.
Oregon State University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #4. Located in Corvallis, OR, Oregon State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, alongside a GSR of 90%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $185,551 in revenue per athlete, against $185,551 in expenses. The school awards about $19,022 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lewis & Clark College landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball. Located in Portland, OR, Lewis & Clark College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $15,622 per participant, compared with $15,622 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
George Fox University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. George Fox University is a private not-for-profit school based in Newberg, OR. Team revenue averages $19,479 per participant, against $19,372 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Portland State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Portland, OR, Portland State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, and a 80% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 44%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $93,766, with expenses of about $93,766 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,026.
Linfield University landed the #8 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in McMinnville, OR. Team revenue averages $18,777 per participant, compared with $13,615 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Western Oregon University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Monmouth, OR, Western Oregon University is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $41,836, with expenses of about $41,836 per participant. Athletic aid averages $2,713 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
See our data sources and methodologies.