by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. Our ranking highlights 16 programs for Women’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluates each program using 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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University of Kentucky earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Based in Lexington, KY, University of Kentucky is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 73%. Team revenue averages $589,199 per participant, with expenses of about $589,199 per participant. The school awards about $23,921 in athletic aid per athlete.
Centre College landed the #2 spot for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Danville, KY. Team revenue averages $14,108 per participant, compared with $14,108 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Louisville ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Louisville, KY. University of Louisville records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 86%. The federal graduation rate stands at 53%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $327,525, compared with $268,031 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,083 in athletic aid per athlete.
Murray State University landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Murray, KY. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 92%. The federal graduation rate stands at 39%. Team revenue averages $151,376 per participant, with expenses of about $119,028 per participant. The school awards about $11,774 in athletic aid per athlete.
Transylvania University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Based in Lexington, KY, Transylvania University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $10,017 in revenue per athlete, compared with $10,017 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Bellarmine University landed the #6 spot this year. Based in Louisville, KY, Bellarmine University is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 995, alongside a GSR of 84%. The federal graduation rate stands at 80%. Team revenue averages $127,707 per participant, compared with $127,707 spent per athlete. The school awards about $10,105 in athletic aid per athlete.
Western Kentucky University placed #7 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Bowling Green, KY, Western Kentucky University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 984, with a Graduation Success Rate of 83%. About 44% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $127,730 in revenue per athlete, against $127,730 in expenses. The school awards about $14,243 in athletic aid per athlete.
Northern Kentucky University landed the #8 spot this year. Located in Highland Heights, KY, Northern Kentucky University is a public institution. Northern Kentucky University records an NCAA APR of 995, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 43%. The program generates about $99,616 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $99,616 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,809.
Asbury University ranked #9 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wilmore, KY. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,219, against $7,219 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Eastern Kentucky University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Richmond, KY. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 967, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 33% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $102,261, against $102,261 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,644.
Berea College ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Berea, KY. Team revenue averages $9,474 per participant, compared with $18,796 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Spalding University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Louisville, KY, Spalding University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $7,543 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,543 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kentucky Wesleyan College placed #13 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Owensboro, KY, Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $48,609, against $49,914 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,522.
Thomas More University ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Based in Crestview Hills, KY, Thomas More University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $32,364 per participant, against $29,658 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,453.
Morehead State University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Located in Morehead, KY, Morehead State University is a public institution. Morehead State University records an NCAA APR of 924, with a Graduation Success Rate of 72%. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $84,525, against $89,140 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,170 per athlete.
Kentucky State University landed the #16 spot this year. Kentucky State University is a public school based in Frankfort, KY. Team revenue averages $25,017 per participant, with expenses of about $25,017 per participant. Athletic aid averages $1,939 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.