by our College Data Analytics Team
Picking a college for your sport means looking beyond the field or court. We have ranked 8 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Providence College tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Providence, RI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 53% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $344,772 in revenue per athlete, compared with $344,772 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $25,955.
Salve Regina University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Newport, RI, Salve Regina University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $11,887, compared with $10,110 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bryant University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Smithfield, RI. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 64%. The program generates about $73,853 in revenue per athlete, compared with $73,853 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $14,982.
University of Rhode Island ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Kingston, RI, University of Rhode Island is a public institution. University of Rhode Island records an NCAA APR of 984, alongside a GSR of 88%. The federal graduation rate stands at 75%. The program generates about $290,033 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $288,205 per participant. The school awards about $19,857 in athletic aid per athlete.
Roger Williams University landed the #5 spot for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Bristol, RI. Team revenue averages $8,034 per participant, with expenses of about $8,062 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Brown University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 987, alongside a GSR of 100%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $69,716, compared with $69,716 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Johnson & Wales University-Providence came in at #7 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Providence, RI. Team revenue averages $11,115 per participant, compared with $11,115 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Rhode Island College came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Providence, RI, Rhode Island College is a public institution. Team revenue averages $14,577 per participant, compared with $14,577 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.