by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 31 colleges 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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Learn more about these schools below:
Washington and Lee University earned the #1 spot in this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Located in Lexington, VA, Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $16,928 in revenue per athlete, compared with $16,883 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Richmond earned the #2 place for student athletes. University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit school based in University of Richmond, VA. University of Richmond records an NCAA APR of 1000, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 61%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $271,906, compared with $271,906 spent per athlete. The school awards about $27,609 in athletic aid per athlete.
Christopher Newport University came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Women's Basketball. Based in Newport News, VA, Christopher Newport University is a public institution. The program generates about $25,335 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $25,335 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
William & Mary is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #4. William & Mary is a public school based in Williamsburg, VA. William & Mary records an NCAA APR of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 86% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $94,684, compared with $179,431 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $15,943 per athlete.
Liberty University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #5. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school based in Lynchburg, VA. Liberty University records an NCAA APR of 1000, with a Graduation Success Rate of 94%. Its federal graduation rate is 64%. Team revenue averages $213,390 per participant, against $213,390 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $16,589 per athlete.
James Madison University landed the #6 spot this year. Located in Harrisonburg, VA, James Madison University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 991, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. About 71% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $132,490 in revenue per athlete, against $132,490 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,945 per athlete.
Randolph-Macon College landed the #7 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Ashland, VA. Team revenue averages $16,497 per participant, against $15,788 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
University of Mary Washington did well this year, earning the #8 position. Based in Fredericksburg, VA, University of Mary Washington is a public institution. The program generates about $20,722 in revenue per athlete, compared with $21,164 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Virginia-Main Campus landed the #9 spot this year. This public school is set in Charlottesville, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 973, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 73% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $152,542 per participant, compared with $152,542 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,976.
George Mason University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Located in Fairfax, VA, George Mason University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 990, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $241,968 per participant, with expenses of about $241,968 per participant. The school awards about $11,956 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public school based in Blacksburg, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 988, and a 85% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 31%. Team revenue averages $186,054 per participant, with expenses of about $405,454 per participant. Athletic aid averages $29,706 per athlete.
Old Dominion University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Based in Norfolk, VA, Old Dominion University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 985, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 62% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $248,170 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $248,170 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $24,728.
Longwood University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Farmville, VA. The team's NCAA APR score is 989, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 69%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $120,300, compared with $133,503 spent per athlete. The school awards about $17,569 in athletic aid per athlete.
Virginia Commonwealth University placed #14 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school based in Richmond, VA. Virginia Commonwealth University records an NCAA APR of 981, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $284,626, against $284,626 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $20,187.
Shenandoah University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. Located in Winchester, VA, Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $8,839 in revenue per athlete, against $8,839 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Roanoke College landed the #16 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salem, VA. The program generates about $9,629 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $9,629 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Radford University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Located in Radford, VA, Radford University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 975, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $95,122 per participant, compared with $95,122 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,467 per athlete.
University of Lynchburg ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lynchburg, VA. The program generates about $8,895 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $8,895 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Emory & Henry University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Based in Emory, VA, Emory & Henry University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $29,233 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $29,233 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,871 per athlete.
Mary Baldwin University landed the #20 spot this year. Located in Staunton, VA, Mary Baldwin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,924, against $13,924 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Regent University placed #21 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Regent University is a private not-for-profit school based in Virginia Beach, VA. Team revenue averages $12,056 per participant, with expenses of about $12,056 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hampton University landed the #22 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Hampton, VA. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 982, alongside a GSR of 70%. Its federal graduation rate is 27%. The program generates about $111,976 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $117,099 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $18,394.
Norfolk State University placed #23 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Norfolk, VA. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 971, with a Graduation Success Rate of 88%. Its federal graduation rate is 33%. The program generates about $165,284 in revenue per athlete, against $165,284 in expenses. The school awards about $11,545 in athletic aid per athlete.
Eastern Mennonite University ranked #24 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Harrisonburg, VA, Eastern Mennonite University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $10,606 per participant, against $10,606 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Virginia Wesleyan University placed #25 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This private not-for-profit school is set in Virginia Beach, VA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $14,310, against $14,310 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published 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
See our data sources and methodologies.