by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 24 programs for Women’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, 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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Explore the leading programs below:
Our analysis found Furman University to be the best college for Women's Basketball in South Carolina. Based in Greenville, SC, Furman University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $150,658 per participant, with expenses of about $150,658 per participant. The school awards about $28,699 in athletic aid per athlete.
Clemson University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #2. Clemson University is a public school based in Clemson, SC. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 57%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $388,672, compared with $388,672 spent per athlete. The school awards about $21,730 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina-Columbia came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Columbia, SC. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 55%. The program generates about $423,205 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $423,205 per participant. Athletic aid averages $18,645 per athlete.
Wofford College landed the #4 spot for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 80%. Its federal graduation rate is 71%. Team revenue averages $133,662 per participant, compared with $133,662 spent per athlete. The school awards about $26,368 in athletic aid per athlete.
North Greenville University came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Based in Tigerville, SC, North Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $35,597 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $35,468 per participant. Athletic aid averages $15,158 per athlete.
Presbyterian College landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Clinton, SC, Presbyterian College is a private not-for-profit institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 980, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $101,040, against $101,040 in expenses. The school awards about $11,454 in athletic aid per athlete.
Coastal Carolina University did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Conway, SC, Coastal Carolina University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 969, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. The federal graduation rate stands at 73%. Team revenue averages $174,741 per participant, compared with $174,741 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $19,875.
College of Charleston did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Charleston, SC, College of Charleston is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 972, with a Graduation Success Rate of 87%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $81,036, compared with $81,036 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,551.
Southern Wesleyan University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Central, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $20,398, with expenses of about $20,398 per participant. The school awards about $5,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
Charleston Southern University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Charleston, SC, Charleston Southern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 995, and a 72% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 47%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $85,564, compared with $85,564 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,092 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lander University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Based in Greenwood, SC, Lander University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $42,297 per participant, with expenses of about $36,789 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,383.
University of South Carolina-Upstate came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Spartanburg, SC, University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 973, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $77,986, against $77,986 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $9,411 per athlete.
Claflin University landed the #13 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Orangeburg, SC. The program generates about $29,009 in revenue per athlete, against $29,009 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,337.
Converse University did well this year, earning the #14 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Spartanburg, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $23,596, with expenses of about $23,185 per participant. The school awards about $7,241 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of South Carolina Aiken ranked #15 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Aiken, SC, University of South Carolina Aiken is a public institution. Team revenue averages $40,525 per participant, against $40,349 in expenses. The school awards about $8,318 in athletic aid per athlete.
Winthrop University landed the #16 spot this year. Located in Rock Hill, SC, Winthrop University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 971, and a 85% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 39%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $91,556, with expenses of about $91,556 per participant. Athletic aid averages $6,244 per athlete.
Francis Marion University came in at #17 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Florence, SC. Team revenue averages $39,960 per participant, against $39,960 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $5,654 per athlete.
Erskine College came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Located in Due West, SC, Erskine College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $13,177 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,177 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,924 in athletic aid per athlete.
Newberry College did well this year, earning the #19 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Newberry, SC. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $22,846, compared with $22,407 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $5,596 per athlete.
University of South Carolina Beaufort ranked #20 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Based in Bluffton, SC, University of South Carolina Beaufort is a public institution. The program generates about $33,777 in revenue per athlete, against $33,868 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,478.
South Carolina State University landed the #21 spot this year. This public school is set in Orangeburg, SC. South Carolina State University records an NCAA APR of 926, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 33%. Team revenue averages $80,196 per participant, against $80,196 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,529.
Coker University ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hartsville, SC. Team revenue averages $30,158 per participant, against $29,264 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $6,938 per athlete.
Benedict College came in at #23 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Columbia, SC. Team revenue averages $10,970 per participant, with expenses of about $18,425 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,098.
Allen University came in at #24 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Columbia, SC. The program generates about $13,036 in revenue per athlete, compared with $13,036 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,826.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.