by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 22 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 Michigan-Ann Arbor this year for Women's Basketball. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public school based in Ann Arbor, MI. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $31,625, against $162,747 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,650.
Oakland University earned the #2 place for student athletes. This public school is set in Rochester Hills, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 91%. Team revenue averages $123,823 per participant, with expenses of about $123,823 per participant. The school awards about $12,959 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Michigan University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #3. Based in Kalamazoo, MI, Western Michigan University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 91%. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $117,067 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $117,067 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,248.
Hope College landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Holland, MI. Team revenue averages $15,694 per participant, with expenses of about $12,138 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Michigan Technological University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Michigan Technological University is a public school based in Houghton, MI. Team revenue averages $48,664 per participant, with expenses of about $48,664 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $13,159.
Michigan State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in East Lansing, MI. The team's NCAA APR score is 985, and a 87% Graduation Success Rate. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $452,938, against $452,938 in expenses. The school awards about $22,500 in athletic aid per athlete.
Central Michigan University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Mount Pleasant, MI, Central Michigan University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 981, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. The program generates about $116,137 in revenue per athlete, compared with $116,137 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,123.
Calvin University placed #8 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,194, against $11,139 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Grand Valley State University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Located in Allendale, MI, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $64,422 per participant, with expenses of about $63,292 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,088.
Kalamazoo College landed the #10 spot this year. Located in Kalamazoo, MI, Kalamazoo College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,380, compared with $8,380 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Northwood University placed #11 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Northwood University is a private not-for-profit school based in Midland, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $43,680, against $43,680 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $7,948.
Alma College ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Alma, MI, Alma College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $8,888 per participant, against $8,888 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Eastern Michigan University came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 971, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 60%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $80,497, with expenses of about $80,497 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,547.
University of Detroit Mercy placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Detroit, MI, University of Detroit Mercy is a private not-for-profit institution. University of Detroit Mercy records an NCAA APR of 951, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 29%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $131,429, compared with $131,429 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $11,135 per athlete.
Lake Superior State University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Lake Superior State University is a public school based in Sault Ste Marie, MI. Team revenue averages $35,502 per participant, against $35,502 in expenses. The school awards about $8,276 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Michigan University placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Marquette, MI. Team revenue averages $52,192 per participant, with expenses of about $52,664 per participant. Athletic aid averages $9,323 per athlete.
Albion College placed #17 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Albion, MI, Albion College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,383 in revenue per athlete, against $13,908 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Based in University Center, MI, Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution. The program generates about $51,755 in revenue per athlete, against $51,755 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,118 per athlete.
Ferris State University placed #19 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Big Rapids, MI, Ferris State University is a public institution. The program generates about $49,920 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $49,920 per participant. The school awards about $5,572 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davenport University did well this year, earning the #20 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. The program generates about $51,697 in revenue per athlete, against $51,697 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,850.
Adrian College placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Adrian College is a private not-for-profit school based in Adrian, MI. Team revenue averages $7,656 per participant, against $7,656 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Olivet did well this year, earning the #22 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Olivet, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $10,306, compared with $10,306 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.