by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 12 colleges for Women’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, 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.
Looking for a different division or a related ranking? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Harding University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Searcy, AR. Team revenue averages $41,156 per participant, against $42,327 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $9,216.
University of Arkansas landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball. University of Arkansas is a public school based in Fayetteville, AR. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 67%. Team revenue averages $21,034 per participant, compared with $480,784 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $21,062.
Arkansas State University earned the #3 place for student athletes. Based in Jonesboro, AR, Arkansas State University is a public institution. Arkansas State University records an NCAA APR of 963, and a 83% Graduation Success Rate. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $163,313 in revenue per athlete, against $163,313 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,588.
University of Central Arkansas is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #4. Based in Conway, AR, University of Central Arkansas is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 952, alongside a GSR of 94%. About 55% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $102,696, with expenses of about $102,696 per participant. Athletic aid averages $8,449 per athlete.
Ouachita Baptist University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #5. Located in Arkadelphia, AR, Ouachita Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $35,563 in revenue per athlete, compared with $35,846 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,935 per athlete.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public school based in Little Rock, AR. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 941, alongside a GSR of 93%. Its federal graduation rate is 47%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $111,103, with expenses of about $111,103 per participant. The school awards about $8,309 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hendrix College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in Conway, AR, Hendrix College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,577 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,577 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Pine Bluff, AR, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 961, with a Graduation Success Rate of 75%. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Team revenue averages $68,160 per participant, with expenses of about $68,160 per participant. The school awards about $8,028 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lyon College placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Batesville, AR. Team revenue averages $7,864 per participant, compared with $7,864 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Arkansas Tech University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Arkansas Tech University is a public school based in Russellville, AR. Team revenue averages $30,394 per participant, compared with $30,394 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,208 per athlete.
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Fort Smith, AR, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $42,751, against $42,751 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,102.
Henderson State University landed the #12 spot this year. Henderson State University is a public school based in Arkadelphia, AR. The program generates about $32,216 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $32,216 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,143 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.