by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 13 schools 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.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Use the shortcuts below.
Learn more about these schools below:
Leading the list is University of Washington-Seattle Campus, our #1 college for Women's Basketball. Located in Seattle, WA, University of Washington-Seattle Campus is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 83%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $81,312, against $313,814 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $26,539 per athlete.
Gonzaga University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spokane, WA. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. About 82% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $365,684 in revenue per athlete, compared with $356,223 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,963.
Whitman College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Whitman College is a private not-for-profit school based in Walla Walla, WA. Team revenue averages $29,365 per participant, compared with $27,394 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Washington State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Washington State University is a public school based in Pullman, WA. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $66,968, compared with $286,057 spent per athlete. The school awards about $20,338 in athletic aid per athlete.
Pacific Lutheran University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Tacoma, WA. The program generates about $14,084 in revenue per athlete, compared with $12,648 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Seattle University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Seattle, WA, Seattle University is a private not-for-profit institution. Seattle University records an NCAA APR of 978, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. The program generates about $172,813 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $172,813 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,482.
Whitworth University ranked #7 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Spokane, WA, Whitworth University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $22,556 in revenue per athlete, compared with $22,556 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Western Washington University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Western Washington University is a public school based in Bellingham, WA. Team revenue averages $75,335 per participant, compared with $75,335 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,961 per athlete.
Eastern Washington University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Cheney, WA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $113,042 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $113,042 per participant. The school awards about $11,120 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Puget Sound came in at #10 in this year's ranking. University of Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit school based in Tacoma, WA. The program generates about $13,637 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,637 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Seattle Pacific University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Seattle, WA, Seattle Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,048, against $48,048 in expenses. The school awards about $8,836 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saint Martin's University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Lacey, WA, Saint Martin's University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $54,754 per participant, with expenses of about $54,754 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,343.
Central Washington University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Central Washington University is a public school based in Ellensburg, WA. Team revenue averages $52,338 per participant, compared with $41,430 spent per athlete. The school awards about $6,377 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.