by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 46 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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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Leading the list is Rice University, our #1 college for Women's Basketball. Located in Houston, TX, Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, alongside a GSR of 100%. The federal graduation rate stands at 85%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $288,407, compared with $288,407 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $41,166.
Southern Methodist University earned the #2 place for student athletes. Based in Dallas, TX, Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Southern Methodist University records an NCAA APR of 991, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 77%. Team revenue averages $563,691 per participant, with expenses of about $563,691 per participant. The school awards about $56,388 in athletic aid per athlete.
Abilene Christian University is one of the top schools for Women's Basketball, at #3. Located in Abilene, TX, Abilene Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 75%. The program generates about $136,397 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $152,694 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $26,012.
Baylor University earned the #4 place for student athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waco, TX. The team's NCAA APR score is 994, and a 92% Graduation Success Rate. About 59% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $274,382, with expenses of about $274,382 per participant. The school awards about $30,455 in athletic aid per athlete.
Texas A&M University-College Station earned the #5 place for student athletes. Texas A&M University-College Station is a public school based in College Station, TX. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 88% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 60%. Team revenue averages $94,214 per participant, compared with $604,158 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $17,123.
Texas Christian University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Fort Worth, TX. Texas Christian University records an NCAA APR of 964, alongside a GSR of 100%. Its federal graduation rate is 54%. The program generates about $684,806 in revenue per athlete, compared with $684,806 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $37,174 per athlete.
University of North Texas came in at #7 in this year's ranking. University of North Texas is a public school based in Denton, TX. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 1000, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $222,355, with expenses of about $222,355 per participant. Athletic aid averages $11,504 per athlete.
University of Dallas ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Based in Irving, TX, University of Dallas is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $11,413 in revenue per athlete, against $11,413 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Austin College landed the #9 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Sherman, TX. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $12,339, compared with $12,509 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Texas State University placed #10 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in San Marcos, TX, Texas State University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, with a Graduation Success Rate of 85%. Its federal graduation rate is 62%. Team revenue averages $219,957 per participant, with expenses of about $219,957 per participant. The school awards about $16,371 in athletic aid per athlete.
Houston Christian University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Located in Houston, TX, Houston Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Houston Christian University records an NCAA APR of 990, and a 100% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 81%. Team revenue averages $100,054 per participant, compared with $100,054 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $20,924 per athlete.
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in Austin, TX, The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 990, alongside a GSR of 83%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $76,423, with expenses of about $325,008 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $22,650.
Texas Tech University ranked #13 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Located in Lubbock, TX, Texas Tech University is a public institution. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995, and a 86% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 25%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $147,725, with expenses of about $473,348 per participant. The school awards about $13,662 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in San Antonio, TX. The team's NCAA APR score is 1000, alongside a GSR of 92%. About 50% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $91,124 per participant, compared with $91,124 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $16,155.
LeTourneau University came in at #15 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Longview, TX. Team revenue averages $10,916 per participant, with expenses of about $10,916 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
The University of Texas at Arlington placed #16 among the best colleges for Women's Basketball. Based in Arlington, TX, The University of Texas at Arlington is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 956, alongside a GSR of 94%. About 77% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $164,966 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $164,966 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,666.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor landed the #17 spot this year. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is a private not-for-profit school based in Belton, TX. The program generates about $15,949 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,949 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Lamar University ranked #18 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. This public school is set in Beaumont, TX. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 979, with a Graduation Success Rate of 93%. About 56% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $124,418 per participant, against $123,465 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $13,491 per athlete.
University of Houston ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Based in Houston, TX, University of Houston is a public institution. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 965, with a Graduation Success Rate of 79%. About 67% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $263,252, compared with $263,252 spent per athlete. The school awards about $15,948 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lubbock Christian University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Based in Lubbock, TX, Lubbock Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $62,667, compared with $62,667 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $8,404 per athlete.
Texas Lutheran University did well this year, earning the #21 position. Based in Seguin, TX, Texas Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $6,988 in revenue per athlete, against $7,133 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #22 spot this year. This public school is set in El Paso, TX. Its student-athletes post an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 986, alongside a GSR of 92%. Its federal graduation rate is 23%. Team revenue averages $100,111 per participant, with expenses of about $150,281 per participant. The school awards about $18,754 in athletic aid per athlete.
Hardin-Simmons University ranked #23 on our 2026 list for Women's Basketball. Based in Abilene, TX, Hardin-Simmons University is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $14,002 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $10,703 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Tarleton State University landed the #24 spot this year. Located in Stephenville, TX, Tarleton State University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 972, alongside a GSR of 91%. The federal graduation rate stands at 56%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $165,252, with expenses of about $165,252 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,883.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #25 spot this year. This public school is set in Edinburg, TX. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley records an NCAA APR of 986, and a 94% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 50%. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $92,963, compared with $92,963 spent per athlete. The school awards about $9,144 in athletic aid per athlete.
Not far behind, these colleges also placed near the top this year:
*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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.