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 schools for Women’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual weighs 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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Our analysis found Marshall University to be the best college for Women's Basketball in West Virginia. Based in Huntington, WV, Marshall University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 976, and a 93% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 80%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $167,468, compared with $167,468 spent per athlete. The school awards about $13,594 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Liberty University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in West Liberty, WV. Team revenue averages $34,745 per participant, with expenses of about $34,745 per participant. Athletic aid averages $4,841 per athlete.
West Virginia University ranked #3 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Morgantown, WV, West Virginia University is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 973, with a Graduation Success Rate of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 41%. Team revenue averages $365,074 per participant, against $365,074 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $19,705 per athlete.
Fairmont State University ranked #4 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Fairmont, WV, Fairmont State University is a public institution. The program generates about $36,504 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $38,656 per participant. The school awards about $4,874 in athletic aid per athlete.
Shepherd University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #5. Based in Shepherdstown, WV, Shepherd University is a public institution. Team revenue averages $21,396 per participant, compared with $21,396 spent per athlete. The school awards about $3,796 in athletic aid per athlete.
West Virginia Wesleyan College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Based in Buckhannon, WV, West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $17,187 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,187 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,641 per athlete.
Davis & Elkins College did well this year, earning the #7 position. Located in Elkins, WV, Davis & Elkins College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $15,380 in revenue per athlete, against $14,831 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $7,033 per athlete.
Bluefield State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in Bluefield, WV, Bluefield State University is a public institution. The program generates about $24,978 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $24,978 per participant. Athletic aid averages $5,976 per athlete.
Wheeling University placed #9 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Wheeling, WV, Wheeling University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $18,201 in revenue per athlete, compared with $29,241 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $8,271.
Concord University landed the #10 spot this year. Concord University is a public school based in Athens, WV. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $13,553, compared with $13,553 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $3,226 per athlete.
West Virginia State University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Institute, WV, West Virginia State University is a public institution. The program generates about $22,759 in revenue per athlete, compared with $22,759 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,933.
Glenville State University placed #12 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Glenville, WV, Glenville State University is a public institution. The program generates about $2,733 in revenue per athlete, compared with $17,401 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $4,454.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced 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.