by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 7 schools for Women’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
No school ranked higher than Georgetown University this year for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Washington, DC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 42%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $224,143, with expenses of about $224,143 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,232.
American University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Washington, DC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, with a Graduation Success Rate of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. The program generates about $140,853 in revenue per athlete, against $140,853 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $18,519 per athlete.
George Washington University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Washington, DC. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 90%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $262,992 in revenue per athlete, against $262,992 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $29,880.
Gallaudet University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Located in Washington, DC, Gallaudet University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $9,617 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,127 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Howard University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #5. Based in Washington, DC, Howard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 991, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. About 75% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $113,768 per participant, against $113,768 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,365.
Trinity Washington University placed #6 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Trinity Washington University is a private not-for-profit school based in Washington, DC. Team revenue averages $6,704 per participant, against $6,704 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of the District of Columbia did well this year, earning the #7 position. This public school is set in Washington, DC. Team revenue averages $43,244 per participant, compared with $43,244 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,638 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled 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.